nevadavolunteers.org...C reated in 1993, the Corporation for National and Community Service gives more than a million Americans opportunities to improve communities through service

NEXT STEPS

Life After AmeriCorps

C reated in 1993, the Corporation for National and Community Service gives more than amillion Americans opportunities to improve communities through service. TheCorporation supports service at the national, state, and local levels, overseeing three maininitiatives:

* AmeriCorps, whose members serve with local and national organizations to meet communi-ty needs and, after their service, receive education awards to help finance college or training;

* Learn and Serve America, which helps link service and education for students from kinder-garten through college; and

* Senior Corps, through which Americans fifty-five and older contribute their skills and experience.

Written by Nedra Klee Hartzell, Ph.D.Edited by Suzanne Mintz, Lynda Edwards, and Mark MillerDesigned by Karen Levine

1997. Revised July 1998. Updated November 2003, July 2006.

Corporation for National and Community Service 1201 New York Avenue, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20525 (202) 606-5000 (202) 565-2799 (TTY) www.nationalservice.gov

Upon request, this material will be made available in alternative formats for people with disabilities.

Contents

1. Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2

2. Managing your transition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4

Stages of Transition ..............................4Readiness for Transition ......................5Going “Home”:

Cross-Cultural Re-Entry..................6Leaving Right:

Final Administrative Issues ............7

3. AmeriCorps and you . . . . . . .8Examining Your AmeriCorps

Experience ..........................................8Skills and Accomplishments ................9Things to Work On ..............................10People to Remember ..........................10AmeriCorps and the

Rest of Your Life ............................10

4. Continuing to serve . . . .12Reflecting on Your

AmeriCorps Service ........................12What Motivated You Then;

What Motivates You Now ................12What You’ve Learned ........................13Rewards of Service ............................14Challenges of Service ........................15Renewing Your Commitment ............16“Generative” Community Members ..17Readiness for Your

Next Service Opportunity ..............18

5. Making decisions thatwork for you . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20

Self-Assessment ..................................20Research and Gathering Information ..38Decisionmaking and Goal Setting......44

6. Looking at your options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .52

Another Year With AmeriCorps ........52More Education or Training ..............52Employment ........................................55Starting Your Own Community-Based

Organization or Business..............75Doing Nothing......................................78

7. Moving on . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .80

Appendix AEducation Award Information................82

Appendix BHigher Education: Going About It ..........86

Appendix CGraduate School: A Closer Look ............90

Appendix DResources ..................................................96

B efore you know it, you will havecompleted AmeriCorps service.Whether you are a full-time or part-time AmeriCorps member, you may

already be thinking ahead to the future—what you will do, where you will go to do it,and so on. This workbook can help you decidenot only what you want to do next, but alsowhere you want to be a few years from now. Inother words, it can help you lay out short-termand long-term plans, which will help youwork through the transition from yourAmeriCorps experience to the next step alongyour path.

Shorter-Term Plans. Among the immediatedecisions that face you is the question ofwhether you will leave the community whereyou are serving. If so, where will you go?Why? Will you go alone or with others? Whenwill you go? What will you do at the new loca-tion to keep yourself going while you make

longer-term decisions? If you aren’t relocat-ing, what will you do to manage your financesand focus your energy? Will anyone help you?Who? These decisions are examples of the kindof short-term planning that lies ahead.

Longer-Term Plans. Other decisions you maybe working on concern longer-range plan-ning. For example, you may be giving a lot ofthought to the career you will pursue.Certainly, this will be a decision with long-range implications. Once you establish yourcareer goal, you will need to address somemid-range planning. Will you seek additionaltraining, for example? If so, where will you getit, and how much will it cost? Other longer-term planning might concern ways to moveyourself closer to the region in which youeventually want to live.

What’s Inside. Be sure to read thesections in this workbook con-cerning any options thatinterest you. Many of theoptions are discussed inPart 6. Whatever decisionsmay face you, gather asmuch information as you canbefore making up your mind.Consider your options and the pros andcons of each.

Throughout your decisionmaking process,talk things over with others whose opinionsyou respect. Get feedback on your plans andideas. By thinking and planning ahead, you’llbe able to make your decisions in a calm and

reasoned way, rather than having them forcedupon you.

As you search for your path, try to use asmany “tools” as you can. One such tool is thisworkbook, which is designed to help you:

* plan your transition to your next step;

* reflect upon the personal and profession-al growth you’ve experienced as a resultof your AmeriCorps service;

* assess your skills and accomplishments;

* weigh your choices for what comes next;and

* identify resources and strategies for thetransition and whatever you choose to donext.

After this introduction, the workbook isdivided into six parts. Following are

descriptions of each section.

MANAGING YOURTRANSITION

How will you cope with thetransition from AmeriCorps

service to the next phase of yourlife? This section can help you begin to

assess your readiness for your post-AmeriCorps transition.

AMERICORPS AND YOU

What has your AmeriCorps service meant to

you personally and professionally? This sec-tion can help you begin to assess the impact ofyour service.

CONTINUING TO SERVE

How will you continue to serve afterAmeriCorps? This section addresses yourcommitment to continuing to serve, therewards and challenges of service, and yourreadiness for future service opportunities.

MAKING DECISIONS THAT WORKFOR YOU

What next step best suits you? This section canhelp you define what you want next in generalterms, research how to get what you want, andmake good decisions for your next step.

LOOKING AT YOUR OPTIONS

What are your options after AmeriCorps ser-vice? This section describes five options—another year of AmeriCorps, more educationor training, employment, starting your owncommunity-based organization or business, ordoing nothing—and gives suggestions aboutpursuing any of the options that appeal to you.

MOVING ON

This section provides some final words ofguidance as you take action on your next steps.

page 2

1Introduction

The workbook also contains several appen-dixes that provide detailed information to helpyou figure out and take your next steps.

A. HIGHER EDUCATION:GOING ABOUT IT

This appendix describes thenuts and bolts of selecting andgetting into a school and pro-gram of study, earning academ-ic credit through traditional andnon-traditional means, utilizingcampus resources, and making the most ofhigher education.

B. GRADUATE SCHOOL: ACLOSER LOOK

This appendix contains advice about the deci-sion to attend graduate school and how toselect and get into the program of your choice.

C. ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

This appendix lists sources of more detailedinformation about topics covered in the work-book.

Using the Workbook

This workbook is intended to be user-friendly—relevant, helpful, and easy to use. It is notnecessary for you to read the workbook frombeginning to end. Rather, you should focus onthe sections that apply to you. For example, if

you’re not considering further education rightnow, skip to other portions of the workbookthat fit your interests and plans.

The exercises in each section are designed tohelp you clarify your wishes and

intentions. This is particularlytrue in the self-assessment sec-

tion of Part 5. Only when youknow yourself well can you bereasonably sure of making

decisions that pay off over thelong run.

Although there are no rules for usingthis workbook, the self-assessment sectionshould be your first focal point. This is trueregardless of which section you choose to workwith next. After you’ve completed the criticalstep of self-assessment, it will be clearer to youwhich material you need at this time andwhich you do not. Then work throughwhichever sections you choose in any orderthat makes sense to you.

If you find that some of the material repeatswork you’ve done during your year of service,move on to another section. However, youshould review “Leaving Right: FinalAdministrative Issues” in Part 2 and“Continuing to Serve” in Part 4. This materialapplies to all AmeriCorps members.

page3

W henever you find yourself workingyour way from “here” to “there,”you are going through a transition.When you left grade school to enter

junior high, for example, you went through atransition—possibly a painful one. Passingfrom junior to senior high or from high schoolto college represents another transition, asdoes moving from one geographical region toanother or from one job to another.

Whether these and other transitions ulti-mately lead to better or happier times, theprocess itself sometimes feels hard when you’repassing through it. Some AmeriCorps mem-bers, for example, may view the end of theirservice as a loss tothemselves—onethat will be difficultor perhaps painfulto deal with. On theother hand, others may see this period as achance for continued growth and opportunity—a way to move on.

Whatever your views concerning the end ofyour own service, you can expect things tochange for you. If you give some thought toyour upcoming transition and how well pre-pared you are to face it, you may find your pathan easier one. To help with some of your think-ing, the next two sections briefly discuss theviews of two transition theorists, WilliamBridges and Nancy Schlossberg. (If you’d liketo pursue the topic of transition in greaterdepth, see the list of resources in Appendix D.)

Stages of Transition

According to William Bridges’ theory of transi-tional stages, adulthood encompasses a lifetimeof transitions (Making Sense of Life's Changes:Transitions Reading, Mass.: Addison-WesleyPublishing Company, 1980). These generallytake place in three stages:

Stage One. The first stage begins with anending or loss: An identity is lost, and a newone has not yet been developed. Disenchant-ment may set in. Before the person in transi-tion can move on, the ending must be con-fronted and resolved. This description couldapply to AmeriCorps members who eitherhave left their placements or have begun tolose their AmeriCorps focus. During this stage,these members may be sad or angry about the

loss of affiliationwith AmeriCorps.

Sometimes peopleleave situations quickly, without saying good-bye. It is best, however, to plan your transitionso you have a chance to say goodbye to bothco-workers and community members, no mat-

ter how hard that will be. Ensuring that yourproject is left in good hands will also help withyour transition. Many program leaders willhave a closing ceremony to give members anopportunity to formally close their year of ser-vice. If you do not close that chapter, it will behard to move on.

Stage Two. Severing connections and lettinggo lead to stage two. Feelings of emptinessusher in this middle stage, a neutral zone thatoften includes confusion. Although it is tempo-rary, the neutral stage must be endured beforethe person can move on. Some AmeriCorpsmembers in the second stage of transition mayfeel confused and unsure about their newdirection. According to Bridges, people in thisstage are “in the middle of a road.” He pointsout that although one cannot cross a roadwithout at some point being in the middle, themiddle of the road can be a dangerous placebecause people tend to get stuck there.

One good way to minimize your time in the

middle stage is to start taking small steps towardthe future. For example, if thinking about long-term goals seems too overwhelming, decidewhat you will do next week. Then do it. Action isthe best tonic for the distress of the neutral zone.If, however, you find yourself stuck or immobi-lized in the neutral zone, ask for help. Very like-ly someone in your family or circle of friendsand colleagues can help you move on.

Stage Three. In stage three we find a newbeginning, the final stage of transition. Newbeginnings can be problematic, and the secretis “to do more than simply persevere.” In thisstage, you will fare better if you take actionand concentrate on goals. According toBridges, the transition ends not when all deci-sions have been made and everything is“wrapped up,” but when action and goal set-ting are under way. Former AmeriCorps mem-bers who are actively working on their nextsteps are at the end of the transition. Thisworkbook will help you identify those nextsteps and lay out your goals.

page 4

you can expect things to change for you

2Managing yourtransition

What stage are you at right now? Why? Note the date and your response to this question below.Return periodically to determine whether your stage has changed and why.

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

page5

Readiness for Transition

Another model, that of Nancy Schlossberg,also may help you gain perspective as you leaveAmeriCorps (“A Model for Analyzing HumanAdaption to Transition.” In The ConsultingPsychologist, vol. 9, no. 2, pp. 2-18). Like Bridges,Schlossberg believes that adult life is character-ized by one transition after another—transitionsthat are inevitable and often unpredictable. Threeassumptions underlie this transitional model:

* A transition can result from a lack of some-thing happening (a nonevent, such as notbeing accepted into the college of yourchoice) as well as from something happen-ing (an event, such as getting a new job).

* Every transition has both positive andnegative aspects.

* Most transitions move from a turbulentand crisis point to a point at which theevent or nonevent is integrated into theindividual’s life.

Schlossberg’s transition model contains fourassessment areas—situations, supports, self, andstrategies. The four short sections that follow pro-vide an opportunity for you to assess your exit fromAmeriCorps according to Schlossberg’s model.

SITUATIONS. How do you view the transition from AmeriCorps to your next step? Is the timing good or bad? How much control do you haveover the transition? What other stress do you have in your life? Are you looking forward to the transition? Do you have experience with similar tran-sitions? Think about how you have coped with past transitions. What worked then that might also work in this situation? What would need tochange? Use the following space to write your general view of the transition you now face.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

SUPPORTS. What support do you have for the transition? You can expect the upcoming transition to affect several areas of your current life—your roles, your relationships, your routines, and your assumptions. How much support do your family, co-workers, friends, and community giveyou? Will your transition from AmeriCorps disrupt any of that support? For example, AmeriCorps members who leave the communities in whichthey’ve been working may lose the support of co-workers and community members, or at least some of that support. Thus, their experience will like-ly differ from members who remain in the community.

What do you think your own support options are? Can you think of ways to increase these options? Take some time to think about the level of sup-port you have, and then write your thoughts in the following space.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

SELF. How will your own nature, or personality, affect your transition? Do you have a pos-itive outlook on the transition from AmeriCorps to your next step? Do you have physical and psy-chological energy for the transition? What type of coping skills do you have? Do you fully under-stand the financial requirements of the transition, and can you meet them? How will your healthaffect your energy? Do you take good care of yourself even when under a lot of stress? During andafter the transition, will you be able to take care of whatever is important to you? Reflect upon thestate of your personal readiness for the transition, and write your thoughts below.

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

STRATEGIES. How will you cope with thetransition from AmeriCorps service to yournext step? Do you need to learn new ways oftransitioning? Can you modify and/orchange the transition? Do you want to? Howwill you manage the stress of the transition?

________________________________

________________________________

________________________________

________________________________

________________________________

________________________________

________________________________

________________________________

________________________________

________________________________

________________________________

Going “Home”: Cross-Cultural Re-Entry

When people return to previously familiar sur-roundings after living in a different environ-ment or culture for a time, they face what iscalled “cross-cultural re-entry.” This experi-ence will lie ahead for AmeriCorps memberswho moved to a new community to serve butwill return to their home community after ser-vice. Returning is not always easy. AnAmeriCorps member who grew up in ruralTexas and served in urban Chicago, for exam-ple, may find re-entry harder than expected ifshe returns home for any length of time.

Many times, people find coming home to bemore difficult than the initial move to the otherculture. Even people who have spent theirAmeriCorps service in their home communitymay experience some “re-entry” if they haveworked in a culture somewhat different fromtheir own or if families or friends have dis-counted or even dismissed their efforts.

In general, people returning home don’texpect a hard time. “No problem,” they think.“I understand and appreciate this culture.”Then, if the transition turns out to be difficult,they are surprised because the difficulty is sounexpected. Sometimes the surprise of re-entry “shock” can lead people into ineffective-ness and/or depression during their transition.Typically, the stronger the desire to returnhome, the easier the transition will be.

Planning for re-entry can help to ease thetransition. You may want to give some thoughtto the way you’ll describe your AmeriCorpsservice to your family, friends, and neighborsat home. Sometimes, the people you care aboutat home won’t be interested in your experience.Or perhaps they believe their culture is betterthan the one in which you served. How willyou deal with that attitude or disinterest?

You may experience any of several stages ofre-entry. First, as noted earlier, you may beginto disengage from the AmeriCorps community

page 6

If you feel you are not yet ready for the upcoming transition, try to work out ways to betterprepare yourself. (Perhaps your co-workers or supervisors can help you with this.) Can youincrease the support you’ll be able to call upon? Can you talk with someone who has success-fully completed a similar transition recently? Can you build upon your current strengths?How can you overcome the obstacles you’ve identified?

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

Given your view of the transition, the support you have for the transition, and your per-sonal characteristics, what do you have going for you as you leave AmeriCorps service?

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

What do you need to work on?

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

while still in it. Your focus moves from the pre-sent to the future. Then comes the initial“home” period, which is usually full of good-will and comfort. It feels good to be home. Nextcomes a middle period during which you mayfeel some discomfort with the home cultureand may find yourself developing a negativeattitude. In this stage, former members maycompare their home culture with theirAmeriCorps culture and find their home cul-ture lacking. Eventually, however, if they workpatiently through the stages, they will likelyachieve a positive integration of home andAmeriCorps experiences.

Your re-entry experience may be similar tothe experience of people who return from ser-vice overseas or within cultures that differfrom their own—members of the armed forcesor Peace Corps volunteers, for example. Often,these same people discover that the copingskills they used to adjust to another culturehelp them cope, as well, with returning home.Think back over the ways you got through thefirst few months at your AmeriCorps assign-ment. Transfer your new experiences and theexpertise gained through AmeriCorps to yourhome, or your “old” situation.

Leaving Right: Final Administrative Issues

Before you leave your AmeriCorps assign-ment, be sure to complete all final business.Following is a list of administrative details andprocedures you’ll need to work through beforeleaving. (Check with your program directorand/or supervisor to make sure the list coverseverything.)

Final clearance

Final program evaluation

Change of address (if needed)

Health insurance (What happens withyours?)

Education award (see Appendix A formore information about loan forbear-ance and education awards)

Interested Accrual form (see AppendixA for more information about loan forbearance.)

End-of-Term-of-Service form (whichtriggers the education award; seeAppendix A for more informationabout education awards)

References from program director, sitesupervisor, fellow AmeriCorps mem-bers, team leaders, AmeriCorps lead-ers, and/or other community members

Addresses and other contact informa-tion for fellow AmeriCorps memberswho are leaving the community

Addresses and other contact informationfor community members/organizationswith whom you want to stay in touch

Information on the AmeriCorps Alumsorganization and other ways to stayinvolved with AmeriCorps and other former members

page7

If you are returning home after AmeriCorps, what will be comforting and welcoming to you?What may be hard to deal with? How might you handle the difficulties?

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

page 8

3AmeriCorps and you

Examining Your AmeriCorps Experience

As part of your thinking about the future, it will be helpful to spend some time reflect-ing upon the ways your AmeriCorps experience has affected you. Has AmeriCorpsmade a difference in your life? If so, in what ways? Take a look at what you'velearned and accomplished over the past year. Use the questions that follow to help

you do that. In answering them, be as honest with yourself as you can.

After giving the questions some careful thought, write your answers in the spaces provided.If you run out of room, continue on a separate sheet of paper.

1. What did you do well during your AmeriCorps experience?

____________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________

2. What are you most proud of about your AmeriCorps experience?

____________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________

3. What do you wish had been different?

____________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________

4. Do you believe you made a difference during your AmeriCorps experience? If so, how?If not, why not?

____________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________

5. How have you changed as a person since your AmeriCorps service began? How are youdifferent as a friend or spouse or family member?

____________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________

6. How have you changed as a community member since your AmeriCorps service began?

____________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________

7. How have you changed as a worker since your AmeriCorps service began?

____________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________

After you've answered these questions, askyour supervisor or a fellow AmeriCorps mem-ber or good friend to respond to the questionsabout you. This should be a person who knowsyou and your AmeriCorps experience well, andis thoughtful, honest, and caring. He or sheshould be willing to give you feedback, bothpositive and negative.

Perhaps the two of you will give differentanswers to some of the questions. Discussthese differences as well as your similaranswers. It's possible your friend or colleaguethinks you may be giving yourself too littlecredit, or too much. After all, many of us findit hard to be objective about ourselves.

Save the completed exercise. As you workthrough other exercises, you will refer back to itfrom time to time.

Skills and Accomplishments

In working through this section, you will focuson two things that everyone talks about thesedays—skills and accomplishments. Forexample, almost any interview for collegeadmission or a job will include questions aboutboth. People who can clearly describe theirskills and accomplishments find themselves atan advantage in many situations. You mayfind that your next step after AmeriCorpshinges at least in part on this same ability.

Later chapters of the workbook focus onskills and accomplishments in considerabledepth. For right now, just focus on what comesto mind immediately.

Skills. Think about the skills you learned orenhanced during your AmeriCorps service.Have you become better organized? patient?diplomatic? helpful? Are you punctual? lessshy? a better public speaker? Did you learnhow to write? how to understand andwork with a budget? Did youlearn a new computer pro-gram? about childhood ill-nesses? recycling methods?causes and effects of juvenilecrime? nutrition needs ofseniors? Did you learn aboutother cultures? how to organizearound a community issue?

Make a quick list of some of the thingsyou've learned and have been able to do. Starteach entry with an action verb. Here are someexamples:

* Wrote a community newsletter.

* Monitored program expenses. Kept pro-gram budget.

* Recycled trash.

* Organized and conducted communityservice projects.

* Tutored middle school students in reading.

Accomplishments. What did you completeand/or achieve during your AmeriCorps ser-vice? Things that you feel you did well andabout which you are most proud are probably

accomplishments. Use a verb first, and bespecific. When you can, use num-

bers. Be accurate: Don’t over-state or downplay what you've

done. And don't forget toinclude all the trainingyou've received (and used)

as an AmeriCorps member.

Here are some examples thatmay help you describe your accom-

plishments:

* Wrote six community newsletters thatwere distributed to 500 community resi-dents and organizations.

* Planned and managed budget for community program. Raised $1,000among local businesses for playgroundequipment.

* Participated in community trash recy-cling program that collected 1,000pounds of materials for recycling.

* Completed 1,700 hours of community ser-

vice at a neighborhood community center.

* Completed twelve hours of training onconflict resolution; eight hours on bud-get development; twenty-four hours oncomputer applications (Word Perfect 6.0;Lotus 1-2-3); and forty-eight hours oncommunity development strategies.

As an AmeriCorps member, I've learned to:

_________________________________ _________________________________

_________________________________ _________________________________

_________________________________ _________________________________

_________________________________ _________________________________

_________________________________ _________________________________

These are my accomplishments as anAmeriCorps member:

_________________________________

_________________________________

_________________________________

_________________________________

_________________________________

_________________________________

_________________________________

_________________________________

_________________________________

_________________________________

_________________________________

_________________________________

_________________________________

_________________________________

_________________________________

_________________________________

_________________________________

page9

Things to Work On

Thus far, the workbook has focused on the skillsyou've learned and what you've accomplished.Yet almost every experience leaves people withsome idea of what they couldn't do, what is lack-ing, or what is needed next. For example, anAmeriCorps member working in public safetymay know little about how certain local ordi-nances are enforced. Or someone working withseniors may only partially understand the effectsof isolation upon them. Someone working withchildren may not know what a four-year-oldchild should be able to do. These are examples ofskill and knowledge areas those AmeriCorpsmembers would need to address if they wanted todevelop careers in their areas of service.

Sometimes what members may need to workon is more basic than the skills outlined above.Perhaps they need to learn to read, or to readbetter...or maybe to get up early enough in themorning to get to work on time...or to be more

dependable. Maybe they need to be morepatient with and tolerant of others...or to con-trol a temper...or to feel comfortable meetingnew people. Everyone has limitations. What doyou need to work on for your next step afterAmeriCorps? Be specific.

People to Remember

These days the term networking seems to beeverywhere. (Part 6 discusses this importantjob search technique.) As you approach the endof your service, there will be people you want toremember—whether or not they may be partof your future work or educational strategy.And you'll be surprised at how quickly you canforget names, telephone numbers, etc., unlessyou have this information written down. Takesome time to list these special people you havemet during your AmeriCorps service. Gatherthis information about each person you want toremember from your AmeriCorps assignment.

AmeriCorps and the Rest ofYour Life

To get a sense of how your AmeriCorps experi-ence might affect your future, let's take a lookat "graduates" of other national and interna-tional service organizations. Individuals whohave served in Peace Corps and other volun-teer corps, for example, often describe theirtime of service as life-changing. The impact oftheir experiences on these service "alumni"may be similar to what you will encounter aswell. If so, your AmeriCorps service will prob-ably always remain with you in some way. It'spossible, for example, that your future choicesabout career, family, community, and civicresponsibilities may be profoundly influencedby your AmeriCorps experience.

According to the Peace Corps’ alumni asso-ciation, volunteers are "active" full-time foronly two years of their lives, but they are for-mer Peace Corps volunteers for the rest of theirlives, charged with "bringing the world back

home." In essence, they are expected to sharewith their U.S. neighbors what they havelearned abroad. You too have a post-servicecharge. As an AmeriCorps member, part ofyour pledge was to get things done during yourterm of service and beyond. How will youcarry out your AmeriCorps commitmentbeyond your term of service? Do you want towork together with former AmeriCorps mem-bers in the national and local networks ofAmeriCorps Alums? You can consider thosequestions in depth in the next section.

Name: ___________________________________________________________

Title: _________________________________________________________________

Organization: ___________________________________________________________

Address: _______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

Telephone: (_____)_______________________________________________________

Fax: (_____)____________________________________________________________

E-mail: _________________________________________________________________

page 10

I need to work on the following skills and knowledge for the future:

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

page11

page 12

4Continuing to serve

S ervice has been the defining featureof your experience as anAmeriCorps member. When youtook the AmeriCorps pledge, you

made a commitment to serve not only duringyour AmeriCorps term, but also beyond. ForAmeriCorps "graduates," service is an ongoingcommitment and responsibility. Many of yourpredecessors are meeting the challenge of ser-vice beyond AmeriCorps. In October 1997, 135former members responded to a survey byAmeriCorps Alums, Inc. Among respondents,79 percent had volunteered since the end oftheir AmeriCorps service. Of those, 72 percenthad volunteered between six and thirty-onehours per month. This part of the workbookcan help you think about ways to incorporateservice into your next step.

Reflecting on YourAmeriCorps Service

Throughout your AmeriCorps experience, you

have prepared for and provided service whilereflecting on the experience. Throughout yourlife, you will find that you will continue to reflecton this very special experience.

Understanding the full meaning of yourAmeriCorps experience will take time—possiblya lifetime. If thatseems farfetched,think back to a par-ticular situation,something signifi-cant that took placeduring your firstmonth or two ofAmeriCorps service.Was there a clarify-ing moment? A crisis? A time whenyou questioned yourdecision to joinAmeriCorps? A timewhen you firstknew that youcould and would beeffective as a ser-vice provider? when you first realized that youwere getting as much (or more) from your ser-vice as the community, agency, or communitymembers were getting from you? Consider thatmoment. How did you make sense of the situ-ation at the time? Since then, have youchanged your view of the situation? How?

Very possibly, the way you view the situationnow is somewhat different from the way youviewed it at the time. You are a more seasonedAmeriCorps member now; your perspectiveand attitudes, maybe even the way you act,

have changed. This type of reinter-pretation of your AmeriCorps experience willcontinue, perhaps for the rest of your life.

As noted in Part 3, former participants ofother service programs are often amazed atthe staying power of the meaning of their ser-

vice, and the waythat it changes andexpands over time.Decades later, for-mer Peace Corpsvolunteers' percep-tions, actions, atti-tudes, and lifestylesremain affected bytheir service abroad.AmeriCorps*NCCCis modeled on theCivilian Conserva-tion Corps (CCC), aprogram started inthe 1930s during theDepression, throughwhich more than 10 million young

Americans participated in building and conser-vation work on important projects when jobswere rare. Veterans of the CCC remembered theirservice with pride. During the recent fiftiethanniversary celebrations of the end of World WarII, former members of the U.S. militarydescribed their wartime experiences. Somebegan to articulate the meaning of those experi-ences for the first time publicly.

Although it's too early to tell, you too mayexperience a similar effect changing the frame-work of your AmeriCorps service over time.

Throughout your life, your AmeriCorps ex-perience will probably influence your choicesabout career, family, community, civic respon-sibilities, and lifestyle.

The questions and exercises in this section ofthe workbook are designed to help you assessthe impact of your service up to this momentand to consider your service in the future. Bothtasks are important as you consider what youwill do after your AmeriCorps service.

What Motivated You Then;What Motivates You Now

AmeriCorps members have different motivationsfor joining. Most members have more than onemotivation, including the opportunity to servetheir communities and their nation, to developskills and experiences for future work, and totake advantage of the educational benefits.

I will get things done forAmerica-to make our people

safer, smarter, and healthier.

I will bring Americanstogether to strengthen our

communities.Faced with apathy, I will take action. Faced with conflict,

I will seek common ground. Faced with adversity, I will persevere.

I will carry this commitmentwith me this year and beyond. I am an AmeriCorps member,and I will get things done.

—AmeriCorps Pledge

What motivated you to join AmeriCorps?

_________________________________

_________________________________

_________________________________

_________________________________

What motivates you to continue to serve afterAmeriCorps service?

_________________________________

_________________________________

_________________________________

_________________________________

page13

Through AmeriCorps service, you've gained a broader understanding of how to identify andaddress the needs of communities. Another part of what you've learned through your AmeriCorpsservice and will learn through the exercises in the workbook is how you fit into the needs of com-munities. What will you do with what you have learned through your AmeriCorps service?Respond to the following questions about what you have learned.

What specific skills, talents, and/or interests have you gained through your AmeriCorps service?______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

What lessons have you learned about yourself?

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

What lessons have you learned about working within a community and with different typesof people?

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

How has the community benefited from your AmeriCorps service?

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

What specific skills, talents, and/or interests would you like to use in your next service opportunity?

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

What type of setting—e.g., school-based, community-based—are you considering for yournext service opportunity? Why?

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

What issues—e.g., education, children, literacy, health, environment, public safety—areyou considering for your next service opportunity? Why?

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

WORKSHEETWhat you’ve learned

page 14

Time and again you’ve been asked to think about or to describe the positive aspects of AmeriCorpsservice. Here’s how some other AmeriCorps members view service.

INDIANA AMERICORPS

In the spring of 1996, Indiana AmeriCorps members described these aspects of their service asthe most exciting and/or inspirational.

* Making a difference * Seeing results

* Being involved * Starting a program from the ground up

* Being creative * Having an opportunity for input

* Experiencing the rewards of * Giving hope to othersservice (reciprocity)

How does this list compare with what you found most exciting and/or inspirational duringyour AmeriCorps service? Place a check next to the entries that you experienced, and addentries to the list if you have some others.

Your additions:

* ___________________________________________________________

* ___________________________________________________________

* ___________________________________________________________

* ___________________________________________________________

* ___________________________________________________________

VOLUNTEER MARYLAND!

Volunteer Maryland!, a program engaging AmeriCorps members, focuses on the attributes of ser-vant leaders. Servant leaders take great care to ensure that “other people’s highest priority needsare being served.” The servant leader works to empower others to become “healthier, wiser, freer,more autonomous, more likely themselves to become servants.” Servant leaders are in service first, then aspire to lead. A servant leader hopes to benefit, or at least not further deprive,the least privileged in society (R.K. Greenleaf. Servant Leadership: A Journey into the Nature ofLegitimate Power and Greatness. Mahway: Paulist Press, 1977).

Were you working toward becoming a servant leader during your AmeriCorps service? How doyour skills and experience compare with servant leaders’ attributes? Place a checkmark in theappropriate boxes to indicate which attributes you have fully developed; those you are workingon; and those you don't possess and/or need to work on.

ATTRIBUTE Possess/Use Working on Don't Have/Need to Work on

Listening

Healing

Persuasion

Foresight

Commitment to the growth of people

Commitment to building community

Empathy

Awareness

Conceptualization

Stewardship

How might you work on the attributes you need to develop? Who might help you to do this?In what ways?

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

WORKSHEETRewards of service

page15

Most experiences in life have positive and negative aspects. As your AmeriCorps experiencecomes to an end, you may feel burned out. It wouldn't be surprising if you have experienced manychallenges during your service. Consider again the experiences of AmeriCorps members inIndiana and Maryland.

INDIANA AMERICORPS

Here is a list of frustrations and challenges to service that some AmeriCorps members in Indianaidentified. Place a check next to the challenges in the following list that you have experienced asan AmeriCorps member.

Too much administrative work

Apathy/lack of initiative from community members

Lack of continuity in programming and with community members

Lack of understanding of AmeriCorps by others

Lack of consistency among volunteers and other program persons

Having to learn to deal with people where they are, not where they are "supposed" to be

Limited resources

VOLUNTEER MARYLAND!

The Volunteer Maryland! program produced the following list of challenges to serving as a wayof life. Place a check next to the challenges in this list that you have experienced as anAmeriCorps member.

Taking failures personally Personality conflicts

Lack of money Not making a difference in agency

No end to the need Ignorance

Materialism Complacency

Isolation Cynicism

Frustration Anger

Powerlessness Impatience

Exhaustion Sadness

Lone voice “Know-it-all”-ism

Apathy Polarization

Negativism Insincerity

Autocracy Depression

Fatigue Loss

Bitterness Arrogance

What challenges have you experienced that are not mentioned on either the Indiana orMaryland list?

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

WORKSHEETChallenges of service

page 16

STRATEGIES FOR COPING WITH CHALLENGES

Within every opportunity for service lies challenge. However, it is often true that lasting lessonsare learned through coping with adversity. How have you coped in the past, and how will youcope with challenges in the future?

List below the actions you've taken to cope with the challenges of your AmeriCorps service.Have these methods been effective, counterproductive, or somewhere in between?

Situation Methods Effectiveness______________________________________________

Sample: Lack of books for Canvassed local Provided 1,000tutoring sessions businesses for books for

assistance sessions

______________________________________________

NOW YOURS:

______________________________________________

______________________________________________

______________________________________________

______________________________________________

______________________________________________

Renewing Your Commitment

To sustain, nurture, and renew commitment to service as a way of life, Volunteer Maryland! com-piled the following list of strategies. This list, written for those employed in a service capacity, wasadapted for the use of AmeriCorps "grads." Consider it as you renew your commitment to serveand consider how to cope with future challenges.

* Stay in contact with other people in service; * Recognize the effects of your hard work go where the action and good vibes are. and results.

* Emphasize your commitment * Set realistic goals and work toward to solving common problems. meeting them.

* Take time off. * Share.

* Access support networks; ask for support. * Regroup—step back.

* Be tolerant/patient. * Be assertive; say no to daily crises.

* Focus on the big picture. * Pace yourself.

* Be honest. * Look for balance.

* Take advantage of small perks. * Seek allies.

* Move beyond the negative into the positive. * Keep your social life alive.

* Stay involved. * Find ways to be empowered.

What coping strategies have you used successfully during your AmeriCorps service? Why doyou think they worked?

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

page17

What coping strategies might you use in future service opportunities? Which of the sugges-tions in the list might be useful for you?

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

"Generative" Community Members

AmeriCorps members are "generative" community members. As described by noted psychologistErik Erikson, generative adults actively invest in their societies. Erikson suggests that adultsneed to be needed and need to teach. One of the tasks of adults is to find a way to direct those needsoutward to create a society that sustains its members. The alternative attitude—stagnation—isrooted in self-absorption. Stagnated adults focus on their own needs rather than on caring for thewelfare of others (C. Widick, C.A. Parker, and L. Knefelkamp. “Erik Erikson and PsychologicalDevelopment.” In Applying New Developmental Findings, edited by L. Knefelkamp, C. Widick,and C.A. Parker. San Francisco, Calif. Jossey-Bass, Inc., 1978, pp.1-17).

Erikson's concept of “generativity” is akin to the process of supervising children as they “comeup”—helping them to grow and guiding them to become strong, positive contributors to society.A generative person helps society's members “come up”—they go the extra mile to ensure thatthe young and underserved have opportunities to grow. Whether focusing on a community as awhole or on its individual members, as an AmeriCorps member you had the chance to investactively in society and were able to reach outward for the benefit of society. You were a genera-tive community member. In fact, you probably helped other community members become gener-ative as well. Empowering others was one of your goals.

Respond to the following questions about your experience with and potential for generativity.

Who has been generative toward you in your life so far? In what ways?

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

What generative behavior have you used in your life so far?

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

What part will generativity play in your next service opportunity?

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

page 18

Readiness for Your Next Service Opportunity

As an AmeriCorps member, you've been intensely involved in service over many months. Yournext step after AmeriCorps service may involve a very focused pursuit of a goal that does notinclude a significant service element. Sometimes basic concerns, such as a salary to buy food andpay the rent, take precedence. It is normal to experience periods of intense involvement in ser-vice, and also times of less than all-out commitment. You may have already experienced ebbs andflows during your AmeriCorps service.

During what period of your AmeriCorps service have you experienced the greatest commit-ment, energy, and effectiveness? Why?

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

During what period of your AmeriCorps service have you experienced the least commitment,energy, and effectiveness? Why?

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

At some time in your life you will probably step out of service altogether, pulling away for awhile to revitalize or perhaps to rethink your commitments. The key is to not stay away too long,for you will need the strength and spirit you get from service to sustain you through the next stepsyou will be pursuing. Because of your AmeriCorps service, the ethic of service will probably per-meate your life. Ideally, you will never be far from it.

Please also consider a very practical part of continuing to serve as you leave AmeriCorps. HelpAmeriCorps recruit dynamic, worthy, committed persons as new members. Be on the lookout. Talkabout your service. Who better knows the pros and cons of AmeriCorps membership? Refer poten-

tial members to the AmeriCorps recruitment hotline at 1-800-942-2677. The TDD number is 1-800-833-3722. To find out how you can help recruit AmeriCorps members, call the AmeriCorpsRecruitment Office at (202) 606-5000, x566. You can also access information from the AmeriCorpswebsite: www.americorps.gov.

And if you or your fellow AmeriCorps members are looking for another full-time service oppor-tunity, you may want to consider applying your skills overseas as a Peace Corps volunteer. Call1-800-424-8580 or visit www.peacecorps.gov for information.

A way to stay directly involved with your fellow National AmeriCorps Association alumni is tojoin the National AmeriCorps Association. The National AmeriCorps Association is an indepen-dent nonprofit organization that is building a national network of former AmeriCorps membersand friends who are ensuring that AmeriCorps is a year in a lifetime of service. It is an organi-zation for alums run by alums. It can provide you with job leads, career advice, and national andlocal networking and service opportunities. Members of the National AmeriCorps Associationreceive a quarterly newsletter, have access to the National AmeriCorps Association listserv, andreceive other service-related information. The National AmeriCorps Association keeps up-to-daterecords of former AmeriCorps members so they can be involved in helping local programs withrecruitment, training, evaluation, and service opportunities. For information, contact:

AmeriCorps Alums600 Means Street Suite 110Atlanta, GA 30318(404) 979-2900website: www.lifetimeofservice.org

For other information on volunteer and service opportunities, you may also want to visitwww.servenet.org, www.pointsoflight.org, or www.americaspromise.org.

Your service commitment is ongoing. Go forth and continue to do good works. The next sectionsof this workbook can help you focus on your next steps.

page19

A s you move closer to making deci-sions about your future, the mater-ial in the next part will help youweigh the benefits of several possi-

ble options, some of which you may already beconsidering. Before you lock yourself intosomething, however, why not spend some timereally thinking things through? This part canhelp you with some of your thinking.

This chapter is divided into three sections:

* self-assessment;

* research and gathering information; and

* decisionmaking and goal setting.

Self-AssessmentWhether we heard or read it, whether we heed-ed or ignored it, nearly all of us have at sometime received this message: Know who youare. Before plunging into your plans for the

future, spend some time getting to know your-self a little better. The questions and tasks herecan help you do that. As you go through them,try to be as honest with yourself as you can;see if you can become the person who knowsyou best.

QUESTIONS TO ADDRESS:

* What opportunity will you look for per-sonally and professionally? Will it beschool, a job, or something else entirely?

* What are the ideal qualities and compo-nents that you would like in your nextopportunity?

TASKS TO COMPLETE:

* Identify your values, skills, interests,accomplishments and personal consid-erations.

* Begin to describe generally what youare seeking in your next opportunity.

Values

Values are principles or standards that influ-ence the way we live our lives. Our values arethe things that matter to us. Here are someexamples of things people may value—family,friends, children, community, wealth, goodhealth and physical activity, material posses-sions, power and/or prestige, education, inter-connectedness, religion, and social justice. Noteveryone values all of these items, and thosewho care about some of the same things mightdiffer in the degree to which they care. As you

move ahead with your life, you may find thatyou share certain values with those aroundyou and don’t share others.

Our values comefrom our life expe-riences. When weare young, weoften learn valuesfrom our parentsand other important adults in our lives; as weage, our friends, spouses, teachers, and co-workers influence our values as well.Although values sometimes change over time,the shift is not always dramatic. Usually, valuechanges reflect changing circumstances andexperiences. For example, sometimes people’svalues undergo a modification as a result oftheir AmeriCorps service.

During transitional periods, values becomeparticularly significant because they form thebasis for both decisions and actions. If yournext opportunity is to be satisfying, it must fitinto your value system. Even though the fol-lowing exercise was designed for people think-ing of an employment opportunity, it will behelpful to you regardless of your next step.

values are particularly significant because theyform the basis for bothdecisions and actions

5Making

decisions thatwork for you

page 20

WORKSHEETWork values exercise

(Adapted from D. Borchard, J.J. Kelly, and N.P.K. Weaver, Your Career: Choices, Chances, Changes,1980, 1982, 1984, 1988, 1992 by Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company. Reprinted with permission ofKendall/Hunt Publishing Company.)

Read the definitions of the work values listed in the three categories below—work condi-tions, work purposes, and work relationships. As you read, think about how they are rele-vant to you. Then rate them using the following scale:

1 = Unimportant in my choice of career/in my work

2 = Somewhat important in my choice of career/in my work

3 = Very important in my choice of career/in my work.

Place the number corresponding to your rating in the box to the left of each work value.

WORK CONDITIONS

Independence/Autonomy—doing what you want to do without much direction from others

Time flexibility—arranging your own hours, working according to your own time schedule

Change/Variety—performing varying tasks in a number of different settings

Change/Risk—performing new tasks or leading new programs that challenge the waythings are usually done and may be initially resisted

Stability/Security—performing regular, predictable tasks in a job you are sure of andthat pays you reasonably well

Physical challenge—performing dangerous tasks that challenge your physical capa-bilities and involve risk

Physical demands—performing physically strenuous, but relatively safe activities

Mental challenge—performing demanding tasks that challenge your intelligence andcreativity

Pressure/Time deadlines—performing in a highly critical environment with constanttime deadlines

Precise work—performing prescribed tasks that leave little room for error

Decisionmaking—making choices about what to do and how to do it

WORK PURPOSES

Truth/Knowledge—pursuing knowledge and understanding

Expertise/Authority—seeking recognition as an expert or leader in a particular area

Creativity/Innovation—developing new and different ideas, programs, and/or structures

Aesthetic appreciation—seeking out the appreciation of beauty in all of its various forms

Social contributions—seeking to improve the human condition

Material gain—accumulating money or other material objects

Achievement/Recognition—seeking public recognition for your work contributions

Ethical/Moral—acting according to a set of moral and ethical standards

Spiritual/Transpersonal—looking beyond ordinary consciousness to a more spiritual plane

WORK RELATIONSHIPS

Working alone—doing assignments by yourself with minimal contact with other people

Public contact—interacting in predictable ways with a continuous flow of people

Close friendships—developing strong relationships with the people at work

Group membership—belonging to a group with a common purpose and/or interest

Helping others—assisting other people directly to obtain information and/or resolve problems

Influencing others—affecting others in ways designed to change attitudes or opinions

Supervising others—being in a position to oversee the work of other employees

Controlling others—maintaining some control or power over the destinies of other people

page21

page 22

List below your top three or four most important work values in each of the three categories.Add any others that are important to you but were not listed earlier.

Work Conditions

____________________________ ____________________________

____________________________ ____________________________

____________________________ ____________________________

____________________________ ____________________________

____________________________ ____________________________

Work Purposes

____________________________ ____________________________

____________________________ ____________________________

____________________________ ____________________________

____________________________ ____________________________

____________________________ ____________________________

Work Relationships

____________________________ ____________________________

____________________________ ____________________________

____________________________ ____________________________

____________________________ ____________________________

____________________________ ____________________________

Now list your three or four most important work values on the “Next-Step Summary Sheet”on page 35.

Skills

Skills come in a variety of forms. We all have them, although they differ from person to person.Skills may be described as:

...any of the widest possible variety of attributes that represent your strengths,your key abilities, the characteristics that give you your greatest potency, the waysin which you tend to be most successful when dealing with problems, tasks, andother life experiences. There can be little doubt that you do some things better thanother things. You are more comfortable in certain situations than in others. Youconsistently prefer particular tasks over all others. Your strengths reveal much ofwhat makes you unique, a person who is different from any other individual alive.

(H. Figler, The Complete Job Search Handbook. New York: Henry Holt and Co.,1988, p. 57)

Put a shorter way, a skill is something you do well.

Self-Management Skills. Certain personality traits, developed through experience and rootedin your temperament, are those you use to manage yourself—whatever the setting. These traitscan and do affect work habits. Sometimes self-management skills are also known as adaptiveskills or personality traits. (In speech, they are often expressed as adjectives.) In the exercise onpage 23, you will evaluate yourself against a fairly long list of self-management skills.

Transferable Skills. Among the skills you now have are those you can transfer. Transferableskills—skills related to performance and ability—can be used in (transferred to) many differ-ent types of work and organizations. These skills, which apply to people, data, and things, areoften called functional skills. (In speech, they tend to be expressed as verbs.)

Special-Knowledge Skills. The third type of skills addressed in this self-assessment are spe-cial-knowledge skills. These skills, learned through education, training, and/or on-the-job learn-ing, relate to special work situations. For example, a budget analyst may be required to haveaccounting skills. Accounting is a special-knowledge skill—not everyone has it, and it is notnecessarily transferable to many other types of work. Other examples of special-knowledge skillsare emergency medical assistance, personnel administration, child development, plumbing, nat-ural resource management, law enforcement, heavy-equipment maintenance, and newsletterdesign skills. (Special-knowledge skills are usually expressed as nouns.)

WORKSHEETSelf-management

skills exercise

(Adapted from D. Borchard, J.J. Kelly, and N.P.K. Weaver, Your Career: Choices, Chances,Changes. Dubuque, Iowa: Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company, 1992, pp. 32-33. Reprinted withpermission of Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company.)

1. Read through this list of skills. Then circle the skills, or traits, you now possess.

Alert Diplomatic

Ambitious Dynamic (high-energy)

Assertive Easygoing

Authentic (“real”) Enthusiastic

Calm Ethical

Careful Fast

Cautious Flexible

Cheerful Friendly

Conforming Hard-working

Cooperative Helpful

Determined Honest

Dependable Humorous

Independent Resilient

Kind Responsible

Loyal Results-oriented

Mature Self-controlled

Motivated Self-confident

Optimistic Sincere

Orderly Spontaneous

Patient Strong-willed

Persistent Tactful

Poised Thrifty

Polite Tolerant

Prompt Trustworthy

Versatile

2. Read through the list again. Now, put checks next to any self-management skills you needor want to develop. (We all have habits or ways of dealing with others that need to beimproved. Admit to yours by placing checkmarks next to them.)

3. Look again at the self-management skills you checked—the skills you need or want todevelop. Although there are many ways to develop better self-management skills, doing sowill require that you set goals and stick to them. For example, if you believe you need tobecome more orderly, a good way to achieve this might be to create a plan and then stay withit until orderliness becomes a habit. As part of your campaign, enlist colleagues or supervi-sors. Let them know what you’re trying to do, and ask them to make suggestions wheneverthey see an opportunity for improvement. Sometimes just making yourself aware of the needfor new self-management skills helps. For example, being aware and reminding yourself reg-ularly of the need to be more tactful may make you more likely to become so.

page23

page 24

4. Think about people who might be evaluating you for your next step. Then list six self-management skills you would most want these people to know you possess.

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

5. Transfer the list of skills from the previous question to the “Next-Step Summary Sheet” onpage 35.

6. List the self-management skills you don’t want to use or develop more. For example, youmay be very flexible but would like your next work site to be more orderly, with a greateremphasis placed upon planning. Or you may want your next environment to be one that tol-erates, or even values, nonconformity.

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

Below, list the top five self-management skills you want to improve upon. How might you develop them?

SKILLS

1._____________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

2._____________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

3._____________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

4._____________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

5._____________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

You may be surprised by the number of self-management skills you possess. It is often true thatother types of skills get you hired at a workplace, but self-management skills are the ones respon-sible for most promotions within a workplace.

WORKSHEETTransferable

skills exercise

(Adapted from D. Borchard, J.J. Kelly, and N.P.K. Weaver, Your Career: Choices, Chances,Changes. Dubuque, Iowa: Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company, 1992, pp. 32-33. Reprinted withpermission of Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company.)

Please read all directions before beginning.

By following the seven steps of this exercise, you will be able to assess the categories into which yourtransferable skills primarily fall—manual/technical, analytical/problemsolving, innovative/orig-inal, social/interpersonal, managing/influencing, or detail/data. The results may surprise you.

1. Read through the following list carefully. Put a check in the “possess” column for each skillyou have. For example, if you have ever assembled or installed anything, check the “possess”box by ”assemble/install.”

2. After reading the list again, place a check in the “Like to Use” column if you enjoy using thatparticular skill. For example, you may be an assembler or installer, but you may not like to per-form those tasks. If you possess a skill but prefer not to use it, don’t place a check next to it.

3. Go through the list again; this time place a star in the “Good At” column if you are reallygood at the skill, whether you like it or not.

SKILL Possess Like to Use Good At

Manual/Technical

Assemble/Install

Construct/Build

Fix/Repair

Reason mechanically

Work with animals


Use hand tools

Operate machinery or equipment

Drive vehicles

Move materials by hand

Work with plants

Landscape/Keep grounds

Possess physical stamina

Labor outdoors

Use hands well

Analytical/Problemsolving

Analyze/Diagnose

Research/Investigate

Interpret data

Classify/Organize

Evaluate/Assess

Write scientifically or technically

Make logical decisions

Analyze finances

Reason mathematically

Use facts

Separate important from unimportant facts

Put facts, figures, or info into logical order

Explore scientifically

Use logical or rational reasoning

page25

page 26


Innovative/Original

Use imagination to create

Design graphically

Use intuition

Design programs, events, activities

Originate ideas

Act/Perform

Write creatively

Think of many possibilities

Have artistic sense

Draw/Design artistically

Move creatively/Dance/Mime

Put facts and ideas together in new, creative ways

Innovate/Invent something new or different

Compose music, songs, lyrics

Social/Interpersonal

Listen skillfully

Develop rapport, understanding

Counsel/Help/Guide/Mentor

Draw people out/Interview

Instruct/Train/Educate

Put others at ease

Facilitate groups


Communicate with tact

Serve/Respond

Provide information/Advise

Cooperate with others

Show warmth and caring

Support and cooperate

Heal/Nurse/Nurture/Cure

Managing/Influencing

Administer program or resources

Direct/Supervise others

Make business-related decisions

Negotiate/Contract with others or groups

Sell/Persuade/Influence

Convince others through force of personality

Oversee programs, projects, activities

Organize/Set group goals/Plan

Undertake entrepreneurial activities

Organize and manage activity, task, or project

Exercise leadership in a group

Take risks in a public setting

Negotiate deals or transactions

Coordinate people and activities to work together

page27


Detail/Data

Work with numerical data

Proofread/Edit/Write technically

Inspect/Examine/Inventory

Type/Word processing

Follow directions, procedures accurately

Be careful and accurate

Do math quickly and accurately

Schedule/Organize activities or events

Complete details on schedule

Keep track of data or numbers/Accounting

Categorize/Sort/Place items in right places

Remember numbers or specific facts

Attend to details

File/Classify/Record/Retrieve

4. In the first column below, list the transferable skills that you marked all three times. Theseare the skills you possess, like to use, and are really good at. If your next step is to seek employ-ment, you probably will want to look for jobs that use these skills. (Be sure that prospectiveemployers know you have them!) Even if you’re not looking for employment as your next step,you probably will want to let people know you possess these skills in order to apply them.

____________________________ ______________________________

____________________________ ______________________________

____________________________ ______________________________

____________________________ ______________________________

____________________________ ______________________________

____________________________ ______________________________

____________________________ ______________________________

____________________________ ______________________________

____________________________ ______________________________

Copy your list of transferable skills onto the “Next-Step Summary Sheet” on page 35.

5. Determine whether your skills focus on people, data, or things. Do this by writing People,Data, or Things next to each skill you put down in number 4. If you are unsure, ask yourself,“Who or what would these skills be used with—data, people, or things?” You may have astrong preference for one or more of the areas. After completing this exercise, indicatewhether you prefer People, Data, or Things on the “Next-Step Summary Sheet” on page 35.

6. Check to see which three categories (e.g., manual/technical) you marked most often. List thembelow, starting with the category that has the most marks. These three categories represent yourmajor transferable skill areas.

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

7. Finally, look at the master list to see which skills you possess and/or are good at that youdo not want to use. These would be the transferable skills you want to avoid using to a greatextent. For example, you may be a great writer but may not enjoy writing. List your ten to fifteen least-preferred transferable skills below.

____________________________ ______________________________

____________________________ ______________________________

____________________________ ______________________________

____________________________ ______________________________

____________________________ ______________________________

____________________________ ______________________________

WORKSHEETSpecial-knowledgeskills exercise

page 28

Think about the special knowledge you have that many others do not. For example, one skill youmay have developed through your AmeriCorps service is community development. You may havegained this knowledge through AmeriCorps training sessions and experienced it in your work. Ifyou have trouble coming up with a list of your special-knowledge skills, ask your AmeriCorpscolleagues and supervisors to help. What special-knowledge skills do they think you have? Asyou work on your list, try to be neither too arrogant nor too humble.

1. List your special-knowledge skills.

_____________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

2. Circle the skills you would like to use after AmeriCorps.

3. Write the circled skills on the “Next-Step Summary Sheet” on page 35.

4. Are there special-knowledge skills you need or want to develop? Have employers,AmeriCorps supervisors, teachers, or other significant people in your life encouraged you todevelop certain special-knowledge skills for your future, like fundraising skills, business-development skills, or counseling skills? In the space below, list the special-knowledge skillsyou need now. Do the same on the “Next-Step Summary Sheet.” (As you move through theexercises in this workbook, you may find your list either growing or diminishing.)

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

Interests

The third major area of self-assessment con-cerns interests. How do you spend time whenyou can do what you want to do? What wouldyou do with your time if you won a lottery anddidn’t have to earn money any longer?

According to research conducted by JohnHolland (Making Vocational Choices, 2ndEdition, Odessa, Fla.: Psychological Assess-ment Resources, 1994), we develop preferencesfor certain related activities during our earlyyears. These preferences largely determine ourlikes and dislikes throughout life. Holland hasidentified six personality styles, which hedescribes as Realistic, Investigative, Artistic,Social, Enterprising, and Conventional. Nearlyeveryone has characteristics of each type.

Holland’s theory stipulates that persons areattracted to roles in work environments that meettheir personal needs and provide them withsatisfaction (Zunker, V.G., Career Counseling,5th Ed. Pacific Grove, Calif.: Brooks/ColePublishing Co., 1998, p. 53).

That makes sense, doesn’t it? Try to matchyour needs with the work situation/type workthat you will do. In Holland’s scheme, the matchleads to occupational satisfaction. In otherwords, the more compatible your Holland styleis with your activities, organizations, and work,the more satisfied you will be.

Here’s some general information about whattypes of work environments each “pure”Holland type is most attracted to. Rememberthat no one is a pure Holland type, however(Zunker, p. 54).

* Realistic types like skilled trades suchas plumber, electrician, and machineoperator; they like to use skills such asthose needed by airplane mechanics,photographers, draftspersons, and someservice occupations.

* Investigative types like scientific-relatedwork such as chemist, physicist, mathe-matician, laboratory technician, comput-er programmer, and electronic worker.

* Artistic types like artistic work such assculptor, designer, artist, music teacher,editor, writer, and musician.

* Social types like education pursuits suchas teacher and college professor, andsocial service positions such as socialworker, rehabilitation counselor, andprofessional nurse.

* Enterprising types like managerial andsales positions such as personnel, pro-duction manager, and life insurance,car, or real estate salesperson.

* Conventional types like office and clericalwork such as teller, accountant, secre-tary, receptionist, and credit manager.The following table describes and com-pares each Holland type further.

page29

page 30

Comparison of the Holland Personality Types

(From D. Borchard, J.J. Kelly, and N.P.K. Weaver. Your Career: Choices, Chances, Changes. Dubuque, Iowa: Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company, 1995, p. 82. Reprinted with permission of Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company).

CHARACTERISTICS

LIKES

DISLIKES

ORIENTATION

PREFERRED SKILLS

PEOPLE WHO CHARACTERIZE THE STYLES

Realistic

StablePhysicalPracticalFrankSelf-reliant

Outdoor workMechanicsAthleticsWorking with plants,tools, and animals

Educational activitiesSelf-expressionWorking with people

Hands-on activities

BuildingRepairingMaking and growingthings

Thomas EdisonThe Wright BrothersAntonio StradivariChris Evert LloydJohannes GutenbergNeil ArmstrongAmelia EarhartArthur AsheMichael JordanJackie Joyner-KerseeNancy Lopez

Investigative

AnalyticalIndependentCuriousIntellectualPrecise

Abstract problemsScienceInvestigationUnstructured situationsWorking alone

Repetitive activitiesRulesWorking with people

Problemsolving

ProblemsolvingAnalytical reasoningDeveloping models andsystems

Albert EinsteinSherlock HolmesGeorge WashingtonCarver

Madam CurieSigmund FreudCharles DarwinAdmiral Grace HopperCharles DrewW.E.B. DuboisThurgood MarshallDr. Taylor G. Want

Artistic

ImaginativeIdealisticOriginalExpressiveImpulsive

IdeasSelf-expressionCreativityUnstructured situationsWorking alone

StructureRulesPhysical workDetailsRepetitive activities

Idea creating

CreatingVisualizingUnstructured tasksImagining

Alex HaleyBeverly SillsLudwig von BeethovenMichelangelo BuonarrotiWilliam ShakespeareMikhail BaryshnikovEmily DickinsonFrank Lloyd WrightMaya AngelouEmilio EstevezDuke EllingtonJanet JacksonSinbad

Social

CooperativeUnderstandingHelpfulTactfulSociable

PeopleAttentionDiscussionHelpingSocializing

Physical workWorking with toolsWorking outdoors

People assisting

Interpersonal activitiesEstablishing rapportCommunicatingHelping

Helen KellerJoyce BrothersCarl MenningerKenneth ClarkFlorence NightengaleMother TeresaMahatma GandhiAlbert SchweitzerJaime EscalanteJocelyn EldersCoretta Scott KingDesmond Tutu

Enterprising

PersuasiveDomineeringEnergeticAmbitiousFlirtatious

PowerPeopleStatusInfluencingManaging

Systematic activitiesPrecise workConcentrated intellectual work

People influencing

LeadingManagingPersuadingMotivating others

Henry FordWinston ChurchillMartin Luther KingMargaret ThatcherLee IacoccaLaura AshleyGolda MeirCesar ChavezConnie ChungBarbara JordanNelson Mandela

Conventional

ConscientiousOrderlyPersistentConformingEfficient

OrderCarrying out detailsOrganizingStructureWorking with data

Unsystematized activitiesLack of structureAmbiguity

Detail and data

Detailed tasksFollowing directions precisely

Repetitive tasks

E.F. HuttonDr. Watson (SherlockHolmes’ assistant)

Noah Webster (dictionary)

Melvil Dewey (Deweydecimal system)

Herman Hollerith (keypunch card)

Carolus Linnaeus(botanist)

Clarence Thomas

WORKSHEETInterests exercise

Your Holland type becomes important as you begin to make choices about your future. By under-standing your Holland type you may be better able to focus on the learning, service, work, andleisure activities you prefer. The interests exercise that follows may help you to determine whichHolland type fits you best.

1. Based upon the Holland table, list the personality types you think best describe you. Areyou Realistic? Investigative? Artistic? Social? Enterprising? Conventional? List the threethat come closest.

Most Like You: __________________________________________________

Second Most Like You: ____________________________________________

Third Most Like You: ____________________________________________

Review the two columns that follow. They show how the skill categories discussed in thetransferable skills exercise relate to the six Holland types.

TRANSFERABLESKILL CATEGORIES Holland Types

Manual/Technical Realistic

Analytical/Problemsolving Investigative

Innovative/Original Artistic

Social/Interpersonal Social

Managing/Influencing Enterprising

Detail/Data Conventional

2. In this part of the exercise, you will relate the three major categories of transferable skillsyou listed in number 5 of the transferable skills exercise to a Holland type. For example, let’ssay that one of your major transferable skills is to “construct/build.” Looking at the skillsmatrix, you see that construct/build falls under the “Manual/Technical” category, whichrelates to the “Realistic” Holland type. If one of your skills is to “design graphically,” you willfind that skill under the category of “Innovative/Original” on the matrix. “Innovative/origi-nal” relates to the “Artistic” Holland type. Now write your top three transferable skills to thespace below. Check the matrix to see its category, and then find the related Holland type inthe right column above.

TRANSFERABLE SKILLS CATEGORY Holland Type

1. _____________________________ ______________________

2. _____________________________ ______________________

3. _____________________________ ______________________

3. Compare your two lists (numbers 1 and 2 above). Do you have the same three skill cate-gories in each response? In the same order? _______________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

4. No matter which assessment method is used, you are the best evaluator of yourself. Given whatyou have read in the table about the six Holland types, which three types best fit you and why?

1.___________________________________________________________

Why?_________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

page31

2.___________________________________________________________

Why?_________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

3.___________________________________________________________

Why?_________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

5. List your three Holland types and explain why you are like each type in the space at num-ber 5 on the “Next-Step Summary Sheet” on page 35. Then, using the first letter of each ofyour three types, write your Holland Code in the space provided. (For example, if yourHolland types are Artistic, Investigative, and Enterprising, your Holland Code is AIE. If yourtypes are Realistic, Enterprising, and Social, your Holland Code is RES.)

A final note: Because this interest assessment is fairly simple, it may not satisfy your need tounderstand the extent and applicability of your interests. If you need more help, consult a careercounselor who can administer and interpret a formal and in-depth assessment. The Self-DirectedSearch (Psychological Assessment Resources, Inc., Odessa, Fla.) and the Strong Interest Inventory(Consulting Psychologists Press, Palo Alto, Calif.) are two common interest assessments based onthe Holland types.

Career counselors can be found in many places. High schools sometimes call them guidancecounselors. All colleges and universities, state and local job services/employment agencies, somecounty or local governments, and certain community organizations (such as the AmericanAssociation of Retired Persons and the Jewish Social Service Agency) may offer the services ofcareer counselors. The phone book is another good source to locate people in the private practiceof career counseling. You may request information about state licensure or national certification,as well as references, from prospective counselors. A good starting point is your local communi-ty college. If its career office doesn’t offer assistance to community members, ask the career staffto refer you to a community resource.

Accomplishments

The fourth major area of self-assessment is accomplishments. You have had many opportunitiesto work hard and accomplish a lot as an AmeriCorps member. Sometimes, however, it is difficultfor alumni to describe their service in terms understood by employers, admission officers, and others who are unfamiliar with AmeriCorps. The purpose of this section is to help you thinkand write about your accomplishments as an AmeriCorps member in language that most peoplewill understand.

A. GATHER YOUR SOURCES

A lot of work toward the goal of describing your accomplishments has already been done. Thefirst step in identifying your AmeriCorps accomplishments is to gather the various sources thatalready describe them in detail. Those sources might be:

Training descriptions and certificates

Training conducted by you

Training received by you

Weekly/quarterly/monthly reports of activity

Project completion reports

Your journal, if you have kept one

Ambassadorship/special events reports

Site reports

Awards

Conference attendance/subject areas

Your job description(s)

Your responses to the “what you’ve learned” and “rewards of service” exercises in Chapter 4 and the previous skills exercises of this chapter

page 32

page33

What sources of accomplishment descriptions do you have? Where are they? Find them andtake copies of them with you as you leave your AmeriCorps service. List your sources ofdescriptions of accomplishments and their locations here:

———————————————————————————————

———————————————————————————————

———————————————————————————————

———————————————————————————————

———————————————————————————————

———————————————————————————————

———————————————————————————————

———————————————————————————————

———————————————————————————————

B. CATEGORIZE YOUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS

From the various sources gathered above, categorize your accomplishments by skill area. Someexamples of skill areas might be training/teaching, environmental, educational, supervisory,communication, computer, youth development, community development, etc. Into what generalcategories do your accomplishments fit? Name them below. If you are having trouble namingyour general skill categories, refer to pages 25 to 27. Transferable skills categories and specialknowledge skills may be helpful. List your accomplishment categories below:

———————————————————————————————

———————————————————————————————

———————————————————————————————

———————————————————————————————

———————————————————————————————

———————————————————————————————

———————————————————————————————

———————————————————————————————

C. USE ACTION VERBS AND NUMBERS

The next step is to write accomplishment statements. This will take time. Start by just writing asmuch as you can in each category of accomplishments you have identified. Then rewrite eachstatement using action verbs and numbers, when possible.

Refer to page 69 for a list of action verbs. Begin each accomplishment statement with an actionverb. If the list is not adequate, find a resume guide at your local public library that may have amuch longer list.

A key to describing accomplishments is to use numbers. Concentrate on the results of yourwork, not the problems and problemsolving processes. Issues and processes are appropriate fordiscussion during interviewing, but accomplishment statements are the most attention-gettingfor initial contacts.

EXAMPLE: You might start with the following draft accomplishment statements.

Education/Teaching

* Work in after-school program

* Plan activities

Community Development

* Determine what needs to be done

Then rework the accomplishment statements several times, adding detail, action verbs, andnumbers, and making the statements accurate and strong. The above statements might then looklike this.

Tutoring

* Tutored 15 fifth-grade students in reading and math, two hours a day, five days a week fornine months after school. Students’ average reading scores increased 40 percent and aver-age math scores increased 15 percent.

Materials Development

* Created 35 reading and math exercises and activities to keep disinterested grade school stu-dents who were chronically poor achievers interested in reading and math.

* Developed tutoring materials from music, magazines, television shows, and movies ofinterest to the students. For example, used the lyrics from a popular CD for a phonetic pro-nunciation exercise.

page 34

Community Development

* Created needs assessment instrument containing 20 open-ended questions throughresearch of five other such instruments.

* Assessed needs of community by talking with/interviewing 20 informal leaders, 10 formalleaders, 20 randomly selected households, and 10 service providers in community.

Now it is your turn. Get a notebook and begin to go through the sources of accomplishmentsyou have found. List your accomplishments from each source in common language, catego-rize them, and then rework them several times. Take time out between reworking sessions.Ask your colleagues for assistance.

Although this exercise focuses on your AmeriCorps service, you will want to determine youraccomplishments prior to service as well.

D. PACKAGE YOUR LIST OF ACCOMPLISHMENTS FOR SPECIFICNEEDS

Finally, keep a long list of your accomplishments in your notebook or on a personal computerdisk. Then pull from that list each time you need to cite or address your accomplishments.

Make each use of accomplishment statements specific to the situation for which you need it.Concentrate on what is most important for that specific situation. If you are applying for privatesector employment, for example, you want to present your management, communication, andcomputer accomplishments in a resume and/or interview. If you are applying for a graduate pro-gram in social work, however, you want to emphasize your social service, human resources, andcommunity development accomplishments in a personal statement or admission interview.

Don’t sell yourself short. Be accurate, not humble, about your accomplishments. Talk aboutthem whenever and wherever appropriate. Sell yourself to prospective sites for your future.

Finally, add your basic accomplishments categories to the “Next-Step Summary Sheet” on page 35.

Personal Considerations

Each person’s personal considerations are unique; yours will influence your next step afterAmeriCorps. For example, are you committed to staying where you are, or can you relocate? Doyou need child care? What salary level do you require? Do you have special medical, social, and/orpersonal needs that can be met only in certain areas? Do you need to live near family members fora particular reason? What will you seek in your next step, and what can you not do without?

———————————————————————————————

———————————————————————————————

———————————————————————————————

———————————————————————————————

———————————————————————————————

———————————————————————————————

———————————————————————————————

———————————————————————————————

———————————————————————————————

———————————————————————————————

———————————————————————————————

———————————————————————————————

———————————————————————————————

———————————————————————————————

———————————————————————————————

———————————————————————————————

———————————————————————————————

———————————————————————————————

———————————————————————————————

List your personal considerations under number 7 on the “Next-Step Summary Sheet” that follows.

Your Name: _____________________________________________________

Current Month/Year: _______________________________________________

1. VALUES

My three most-important work values for my next step are:

1. ___________________________________________________________

2. ___________________________________________________________

3. ___________________________________________________________

2. SELF-MANAGEMENT SKILLS

The six most-important self-management skills I want employers (or people who will influ-ence my next step) to know I have are:

1. ___________________________________________________________

2. ___________________________________________________________

3. ___________________________________________________________

4. ___________________________________________________________

5. ___________________________________________________________

6. ___________________________________________________________

3. TRANSFERABLE SKILLS

The transferable skills I like to use and am really good at are:

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

I prefer working with (mark preference: 1 is most preferred, 2 is next, 3 is least preferred):

People Data Things

The transferable skills I want to avoid in my next step are:

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

4. SPECIAL-KNOWLEDGE SKILLS

The special-knowledge skills I will take to my next job are:

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

page35

NEXT-STEPSUMMARYSHEET

The special-knowledge skills I would like to develop at my next job are:

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

5. INTERESTS

According to the Holland typology, my three top preferences and the reasons I choose them are:

Type How I Am Like That Type

a.___________________ ___________________________________

b.___________________ ___________________________________

c.___________________ ___________________________________

Therefore, my Holland Code is ________________________________________

6. MAJOR CATEGORIES OF ACCOMPLISHMENTS

My major categories of accomplishment have been:

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

7. PERSONAL CONSIDERATIONS

Personal considerations for my next step are:

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

page 36

page37

The self-assessment includes two tasks. You have just completed the first—identifying your val-ues, skills, interests, and personal considerations for your next opportunity.

To complete the second task, write a paragraph describing in general terms what you are seek-ing in your next step. Use your “Next-Step Summary Sheet” as a guide. The following examplemay help you get started. (Note, however, that this example relates to a next step that involves ajob search. If your next step is something different—such as serving full-time for another year,getting more education or training, or starting a business—your own paragraph will read some-what differently.)

EXAMPLES:

* Values: I want a job in an organization that helps people, preferably children and their par-ents, and will let me have some independence. I want to be able to learn a lot while working.

* Skills: I will bring to this job a good attitude, sincerity, a caring manner (self-managementskills); the abilities to administer a program, to organize and plan, and to exercise leader-ship skills (transferable skills); and a basic knowledge of childhood development and goodparenting skills (special-knowledge skills).

* Interests: I helped my parents raise my siblings and enjoyed that experience a lot. Nowthat I am a parent, I have a great interest in improving my own and others’ parentingskills. I am basically a Social Holland type, someone who assists others.

* Personal Considerations: I want to stay in San Jose, to make a minimum salary of $16,000per year, and to get employer-paid health insurance for my children and me.

NOW IT’S YOUR TURN....

Write your self-assessment summary in the space that follows.

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

WORKSHEETSelf-assessment

summary

page 38

Research andGatheringInformationWhen you’ve completed your self-assessment,you are ready to look outside yourself toresearch, identify, and explore your options.You will be looking for activities and endeav-ors that incorporate the values, interests,skills, and personal considerations you identi-fied in your self-assessment.


* What areas offer most of the ideal quali-ties you identified in the self-assessmentprocess?

* Is employment available in those areas?(If a job search will be your next step.)

* Are your skills and experience competi-tive in those areas? If not, what addi-tional training and/or experience do youneed? How and where can you get theadditional training and/or expe-rience you need?

TASKS TO COMPLETE:

* Match the results of the self-assessment withoptions that now offer most ofthe ideal qualities identified in theassessment, or may do so in the future.

* Develop a list of many possibilitiesthrough your research.

* Begin to reduce the number of possibili-ties through more research.

STRATEGIC GUIDELINES:

* Commit yourself to spending the timeneeded to complete your research. Don’texpect results too quickly.

* Read as much as you can.

* Ask a lot of questions.

* Visit local libraries and career centers.

* Make an appointment with a careercounselor.

* Do whatever you have to do to make con-nections between what you have outlinedin your self-assessment and what you arereading and hearing during this stage.

Strategies and Resources

If you have no idea what next-step options “fit”you, here are some basic strategies and resources

to consider. Although these relate specifical-ly to a job search, you can adapt them

to other pursuits as well.

Using Your Holland Code. Thethree-letter Holland code youidentified in the previous section

on self-assessment translates tospecific occupations in the

Dictionary of Holland OccupationalCodes (Gary D. Gottfredson and John Holland).The reference section of your local publiclibrary either has a copy or can get it for you.

1. Locate your code (or codes) in the Holland dictionary and see which occupations correspond.Write down the title of every occupation that sounds interesting and/or the occupations youknow little or nothing about. Note the “DOT codes” as well, which are listed in the Holland dic-tionary, but are from the Dictionary of Occupational Titles (DOT), published every two yearsby the U.S. Department of Labor. (Look for the DOT at your public library.) You may also wantto check the occupations listed under a Holland code that is similar to yours. For example, ifyour Holland code is SAE and both the “S” and “A” are strong, transpose your strengths andthen also check the Holland code ASE in the dictionary. Choose no more than thirty-five occu-pations, to keep from overwhelming yourself.

Holland Code: ____________________________________________________

OCCUPATIONS DOT Codes

_______________________________ ______________________

_______________________________ ______________________

_______________________________ ______________________

_______________________________ ______________________

_______________________________ ______________________

_______________________________ ______________________

_______________________________ ______________________

_______________________________ ______________________

_______________________________ ______________________

_______________________________ ______________________

_______________________________ ______________________

_______________________________ ______________________

_______________________________ ______________________

_______________________________ ______________________

_______________________________ ______________________


_______________________________ ______________________

_______________________________ ______________________

_______________________________ ______________________

_______________________________ ______________________

_______________________________ ______________________

_______________________________ ______________________

_______________________________ ______________________

_______________________________ ______________________

_______________________________ ______________________

_______________________________ ______________________

_______________________________ ______________________

_______________________________ ______________________

_______________________________ ______________________

_______________________________ ______________________

_______________________________ ______________________

_______________________________ ______________________

_______________________________ ______________________

_______________________________ ______________________

_______________________________ ______________________

_______________________________ ______________________

_______________________________ ______________________

_______________________________ ______________________

_______________________________ ______________________

_______________________________ ______________________

Second Holland Code: _______________________________________________


_______________________________ ______________________

_______________________________ ______________________

_______________________________ ______________________

_______________________________ ______________________

_______________________________ ______________________

_______________________________ ______________________

_______________________________ ______________________

_______________________________ ______________________

_______________________________ ______________________

_______________________________ ______________________

_______________________________ ______________________

_______________________________ ______________________

_______________________________ ______________________

_______________________________ ______________________

_______________________________ ______________________

_______________________________ ______________________

_______________________________ ______________________

_______________________________ ______________________

_______________________________ ______________________

_______________________________ ______________________

_______________________________ ______________________

_______________________________ ______________________

page39


_______________________________ ______________________

_______________________________ ______________________

_______________________________ ______________________

_______________________________ ______________________

_______________________________ ______________________

_______________________________ ______________________

_______________________________ ______________________

_______________________________ ______________________

_______________________________ ______________________

_______________________________ ______________________

_______________________________ ______________________

_______________________________ ______________________

_______________________________ ______________________

_______________________________ ______________________

_______________________________ ______________________

_______________________________ ______________________

_______________________________ ______________________

_______________________________ ______________________

_______________________________ ______________________

_______________________________ ______________________

2. For each occupation on your list, read the quick description in the Dictionary ofOccupational Titles (DOT). In the DOT, you will find occupations listed by their DOT codes(such as the ones you found in the Holland Dictionary). Look up the positions on your list.Then choose those that still interest you after reading their descriptions—trying to narrowyour list to between one-half and three-quarters of your original entries.

Write your new list below.

Second List


_______________________________ ______________________

_______________________________ ______________________

_______________________________ ______________________

_______________________________ ______________________

_______________________________ ______________________

_______________________________ ______________________

_______________________________ ______________________

_______________________________ ______________________

_______________________________ ______________________

_______________________________ ______________________

_______________________________ ______________________

_______________________________ ______________________

_______________________________ ______________________

_______________________________ ______________________

_______________________________ ______________________

_______________________________ ______________________

_______________________________ ______________________

_______________________________ ______________________

_______________________________ ______________________

_______________________________ ______________________

_______________________________ ______________________

page 40

3. Read about each occupation on your second list in the Occupational Outlook Handbook. Alsopublished by the U.S. Department of Labor, the handbook outlines the education and/or train-ing needed to work in occupations and the current demand for these occupations. You willsee, for example, that the current occupational outlook for dental hygienists is much brighterthan for blacksmiths! Using the information you derive from the Occupational OutlookHandbook, reduce your list to a maximum of ten possibilities. Most public libraries have a copyof the handbook.

TEN POSSIBLE JOBS

1. _________________________________________________________

2. _________________________________________________________

3. _________________________________________________________

4. _________________________________________________________

5. _________________________________________________________

6. _________________________________________________________

7. _________________________________________________________

8. _________________________________________________________

9. _________________________________________________________

10. _________________________________________________________

NOTE: The U.S Department of Labor hopes to have an improved DOT on-line in 1999. It will be calledO*Net: The Occupational Information Network. It will be found at www.doleta.gov/programs/onet.

page41

Five Sources of Infor-mation for Research

In researching your list of possibilities, besure to make use of five important sources ofinformation:

* Print and Video

* Computerized Career Information Systems

* World Wide Web

* On-Site Experience

* Information Interviews

Print and Video. Some people find it helpfulto first read about an occupation, making notesas they go, and then watch a video about it. Byreading about a career field, you can get abackground and begin to think of questions.(Be sure to keep your notes!) Sometimes, videos“shadow” a worker in a specific occupation,giving the viewer a chance to see what workers

in that particular field do during a typical day.

A good place to find these resources is yourlocal public library or a nearby collegelibrary, both of which probably have career-related books and videos. You can probablyfind the Dictionary of Occupational Titles andOccupational Outlook Handbook there.United Way descriptions of area employers,government employment guides, and filesabout local private employers are commonresources in local libraries. Another possibili-ty would be to visit the guidance counselors atlocal high schools, who might be able to giveyou information or tell you where to get it.

Many smaller libraries can borrowresources from larger libraries. So if you can’tfind what you need, ask the research librari-ans for help in identifying and securingresources that can help you.

A word of caution: Some libraries may haveoutdated career resources. Although thesebooks may offer good basic information, theymay also be misleading about both the natureof certain fields and their future prospects. Forexample, much manufacturing is now com-puterized, a fact probably not mentioned in a1970s book on manufacturing. Always checkthe date of the book or video you are using, andjudge its information accordingly. Generally,information more than ten years old should bedouble checked with another source.

Computerized Career Information Systems.Another way to identify prospective occupa-tions and/or career fields is through com-puterized career-information systems. Somelibraries may have databases of private sectoremployers nationally and in your geographic

area. Ask about what’s available. Other types ofcomputerized career information systems alsoexist in career centers and libraries nationwide.

Some of these systems can match people’sself-assessment information with possible occu-pations and/or career fields. Such systems cansuggest occupations and career fields to consider,given the information with which the computerhas been supplied. Use these systems, such asDISCOVER or SIGIPLUS, to supplement yourown self-assessment, research, and instincts.Remember that no computer can tell you forsure what occupation or career field is best foryou; that’s a decision only you can make.

World Wide Web. So much is happening onthe World Wide Web and the Internet that it isdifficult to keep up. Cyberspace makes itmuch easier to do career-related researchthan it used to be, however. Take advantage ofthe possibilities. Here is a partial list of whatcan be done on the World Wide Web and/orthrough the Internet about careers: find outabout job vacancies, self-assessment, resumeadvice, applying for vacancies by placingyour resume in a databank, organizationalinformation, and labor market information.

There are many sites—with varying useful-ness—to help you research career-related deci-sions. In fact, it can be overwhelming. Take theadvice of the experts who have already checkedout most of the sites. Following are cyberspaceaddresses and a short description of what canbe found in each. The first three “review” manyother sites for you.

www.jobhuntersbible.comRichard N. Bolles, author of the What Color isYour Parachute? series, is on-line through this

page 42

address. He candidly reviews many othersites—job vacancies, career counseling, andother related sites for you. Check it out andtake his advice seriously.

www.dbm.comThis is the well-known “Riley Guide.” This sitecontains links to many other sites, includingpopulation- and occupation-specific resources.It offers excellent advice about how to use theInternet for career planning and job searching.

www.jobweb.comThis site is offered by the National Associationof Colleges and Employers. It contains links tomany other sites, including employment cen-ters that are listed by field (education, busi-ness, government, health care, not-for-profit)and regions of the United States.

www.monster.comThis is an on-line job center.

www.ajb.dni.usThis is a U.S. Department of Labor site thatlists job vacancies from 1,800 state employ-ment offices nationwide, most from the privatesector covering every type of work.

www.doleta.govThis U.S. Department of Labor site has sec-tions on planning your future and starting anew career.

www.usajobs.opm.govThis U.S. Office of Personnel Management sitelists federal government vacancies worldwide.

Former AmeriCorps members interested injobs with the Environmental ProtectionAgency, the U.S. Forest Service, the NationalPark Service, the U.S. Department of Housing

and Urban Development, the U.S. Departmentof Education, and other federal employers canget very specific and helpful application andvacancy information there.

www.nationalservice.gov/resourcesThis site gives information about job search-ing on the Internet and provides links toAmeriCorps-related sites.

www.peacecorps.govThe Peace Corps’ website for former volunteersis a wealth of career information. In particular,the section on federal employment provides linksto other government agencies. Click on RPCVsOnly, then this sequence of screens: CareerTRACK, Job Searches & Career Planning,Career Fields & Employers, and Federal Sector.Another good site for information about feder-al agencies, but not necessarily employmentinformation, is www.whitehouse.gov.

Finally, one of the best uses of the Internet isfor career-related research about workplaces.Most large organizations have or will soon haveweb pages that contain valuable informationabout the organizations. Many annual reportsare now available on the Internet, for example.

Search under the organizations’ namesfirst. If you don’t get links that way, searchnext under the general headings. For example,search under “Kodak” for information aboutthat company. If you don’t link with a webpage for Kodak that way, search under “cam-era.” If you are not yet familiar with cyber-space, take a course or get tutored. Find a wayto get familiar—fast.

On-Site Experience. Other ways to gatherinformation directly are to intern, volunteer,and/or “shadow” people who work in thejobs/career fields/occupations in which youare interested.

INTERNING AND VOLUNTEERING

Few better ways exist to get a good feel for aparticular work setting or career field than tointern or volunteer. These activities are excel-lent ways to discover whether the career fieldand type of organization that interest you are asyou believe them to be and to get a good graspof what the work entails. Sometimes people’sperceptions of certain occupations and organi-zations are at odds with the reality. By intern-ing and volunteering, one can temper dreamswith a dose of the real thing.

Consider using intern and volunteer opportu-nities to get hands-on experience in the careerfield or type of organization that interests you.For example, if you are interested in fundrais-ing for a nonprofit organization, arrange tointern or volunteer with a fundraiser in a non-profit organization, not with the humanresource manager of that organization.

Getting realistic experience is just one of themany benefits of interning and volunteering.They are also excellent ways to make contactsfor the future. You will, however, generallyfind that both paths offer few financialrewards for your time commitment. Intern-ships, for example, usually require a specifiedlevel of effort while rarely providing much of asalary—if any. Most good volunteer pro-grams require both training and a regular

time commitment.

One way to reap the benefits, yet keep the timecommitment shorter, is to intern or volunteer fora specific, time-limited project. For example, youmight serve as an adult leader (with others) of afield trip for third-graders, volunteer at a neigh-borhood immunization clinic one Saturday,research potential funding sources for a projectat a community-based organization, or devise amarketing strategy for a new anti-litter cam-paign at an environmental organization.

SHADOWING

Shadowing is another way to get more infor-mation about possible career fields, jobs, ororganizations. Ask someone who is doing workyou are interested in if he would permit you tofollow him around for a morning or day. Youshould stay in the background and observe himat work for a predetermined period. Afterward,the two of you can discuss any events youobserved that interested or puzzled you. Thatway, you have a chance to ask the questionsyou couldn’t when you were shadowing. Again,the time invested in this activity is time wellspent. Sometimes the appearance and reality ofa particular type of work differ greatly. Better todiscover this now rather than later, after youhave already made a commitment.

Information Interviews. As soon as you can,locate and interview people who work in the tenoccupations you’ve identified and researched.You may be able to find some of them by askingthe people you know—parents, friends, com-munity members, church members, co-work-ers, and supervisors—for suggestions andreferrals. For example, if a preschool teacher or

police officer is on your list, ask everyone youcan think of if they know someone who works aseither of these. If you get a “yes,” ask for phonenumbers or other specifics. (Be sure the peoplewho give you this information agree beforeusing their names to contact those you want tointerview.) Repeat this process for the otheroccupations on your list.

Another good way to locate and interview peo-ple in your ten occupational areas is to connectwith professionals in those fields through theiraffiliated groups—professional associations,informal groups, labor unions, and so on. Forexample, counselors may belong to the AmericanCounseling Association, small business ownersin a community might gather every few weeksthrough the local Chamber of Commerce, andtelephone installers might belong to theCommunications Workers of America.

When you’ve located some people in thefields you’re thinking of entering, try to sched-ule an information interview. This type ofinterview differs from a job interview in thatyou are seeking information only, and are notbeing considered for a job. Remember, at thisstep you’re not ready to apply for a specific jobanyway. You’re still researching your options.

In an information interview, your objectivesare to gather as much information and advice aspossible and to make contacts in the occupation-al areas and/or organizations that interest youmost. Information interviews can serve a vari-ety of functions: they can be used for back-ground research on a field of work; for research-ing a type of organization; for finding out wherethe jobs might be; or for exploring a particularorganization and talking with decisionmakers.

Getting an information interview, particu-larly without an introduction from a mutualacquaintance, can be difficult. In your initialcontact to request an interview, you need tocover several points:

* Your name, why you chose that person tointerview, and who referred you (ifapplicable).

* An indication of what kind of informationyou are seeking. (Be sure to make clearthat you are seeking information andadvice, not a job.)

* Something flattering that you knowabout the person.

* A request for twenty to thirty minutes oftime at the person’s convenience.

In making the four points above, yourrehearsed request for an information interviewmight go something like this, without any paus-es: “I’m Shantel Hernandez, and I’m callingbecause I am considering [name the career or jobin the interviewee’s field or organization] follow-ing my AmeriCorps service. [Robert White] sug-gested that I call you. I’m looking for informationabout the [career, job, field, or organization], andI’ve heard you are a [knowledgeable, experi-enced, informed] person. May I have twenty tothirty minutes of your time, at your convenience,to ask some questions and get advice?”

Once you’ve secured an interview, prepareyour questions ahead of time. Some of the fol-lowing questions may be useful:

* What experience and education arerequired in your work?

* How did you get into this type of work?

* Why did you choose this type of work?

* What do you do in a typical day?

* What are most and least rewardingabout this type of work?

* What types of employers hire people inthis type of work?

* What is the future outlook for this type ofwork?

* If you could begin your work life again, isthere anything you would do differently ?

* What skills and abilities are most valuedin this type of work?

* What other areas of work relate to thistype of work?

* What is the range of entry-level salaries?

* What is the financial potential?

* How much variety is involved in the work?

* Are there peak hiring seasons?

* What is the best way to conduct a jobsearch in this field?

* What other employers in the area hirepersons in this line of work?

* Are there others in the area I shouldconsult about this field? Will you referme to them?

* May I use your name when I contactthem?

* What advice would you give someonewho is considering this type of work?

If you think this might be a field or place ofwork for you, ask for brochures, annualreports, or any other information that might beavailable. Remember, however, that the intentof information interviews is to get informationand advice from seasoned professionals. Don’tuse the information interview as a job inter-view. Be clear about your research intent.After the interview, say thank you in personand follow up with a thank-you note.

Reducing through RecordKeeping

Try to stay on top of the information you gainfrom books, videos, and computerized careerinformation systems and from talking withpeople. Look at the pros and cons of the careerfields and jobs, occupations, or organizationsyou research. Then begin to reduce your list often career fields/ jobs/ organizations to aboutfive. But don’t cut anything from your list untilyou are ready to do so.

page43

Decisionmakingand GoalSettingAfter completing your research, you are readyfor some decisionmaking and goal-setting tasks.These will help you decide which career field(s)or type(s) of job(s)/occupation(s) you are going toseek—or which options you will choose for yournext step. Then you can set some goals. If theoption you are considering is something otherthan employment, apply the information andsuggestions to your own pursuits.


* What will be the focus of your job search?

* How will you describe your plans toprospective employers?

* What steps will you take to reach yourgoals?

* How long will you give yourself toachieve your goals?

TASKS TO COMPLETE:

* Narrow the focus by integrating the self-assessment and research informationyou have gathered.

* Understand your decisionmaking style.

* Set some specific and realistic goals foryourself. Write them out in such a waythat you can measure your progress.

* Create a realistic timeline for your goals.

* Begin to “own” your focus/decision bytalking about it.

Decisionmaking Strategies

When people make decisions, they are choos-ing between two or more alternatives. In yourown case, any decision that you make inregard to your job search will depend uponwhat you believe you are able to do (your abil-

ity) and also upon what you are willing to do(your motivation). In the weeks ahead, youmay find yourself using any or all of the deci-sionmaking styles described below.

Confused. This decisionmaking strategy isperhaps better described as a style. It is charac-terized by mental paralysis and confusion. Ifyou are in this mode, you may be feeling pow-erless and unable to deal with the decision athand, whether from lack of knowledge aboutyour environment or about yourself. You findyourself in a state of anxiety—a state in whichit is almost impossible to make a decision.

Dependent. People whose decisionmakingstyles are dependent generally prefer to leavechoices to others—often believing that whilethey may not know enough to make a decisionthemselves, others do. This strategy may beused out of fear of making a choice or to avoidthe work of exploring options. Dependence isnot necessarily negative. In some cultures,dependent decisionmaking is expected. Forexample, elders may make important deci-sions for young people.

Intuitive. Intuitive decisions are “gut-level”reactions with little supporting factual data.For intuitive people, data gathering is usuallyan internal process in which they decidewhether the course of action “feels good.”

Planful. People using a planful decision-making strategy explore both their needs andtheir environments, and weigh possible alter-natives. The planful strategy combines fourapproaches—gathering information, compar-ing alternatives, checking out personal feel-ings, and seeking the opinions of others.

(Styles are from Carney, cited in J. Hoppin and H. Spetle (Eds.), Curriculum for CareerDevelopment Facilitators, Oakland University,Rochester, Mich., 1996.) Think of your owndecision to join AmeriCorps. Which strategydid you use for that decision—confused,dependent, intuitive, or planful? Then think ofa day-to-day decision you made recently, suchas where to have lunch, which work project totackle next, or which movie to see. Whichstrategy did you use for that decision?

Most people use all four strategies over thecourse of a lifetime. If you use one strategy morethan others, which one is it? That one is likely tobe your consistent decisionmaking style.

List the five (or more) career fields/jobs/occupations you have selected, and summarize yourjob options on the worksheet on page 47. Decide what, if any, information you still need to knowand note it on the worksheet. Then gather that final information and enter it either under “pos-itive aspects” or under “negative aspects.” Now you are ready to enter the next step of your jobsearch (or exploration of future options)—the decisionmaking phase.______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

page 44

page45

How does your most consistent decisionmaking style affect your life? For example, a personwho consistently uses dependent decisionmaking may feel that decisions are really not his,so he will not feel committed to them. Consider the ways your own style affects you in bothpositive and negative ways. Then write them in the spaces provided below.

My most consistent decisionmaking style is: ________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

This decisionmaking style affects my life positively in the following ways:

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

This decisionmaking style affects my life negatively in the following ways:

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

Based on what you’ve written, would you like to change your most consistent decisionmak-ing style? Why or why not?

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

Parents, friends, spouses, children, other family members, co-workers, supervisors, and clubmembers are some of the people who can affect an individual’s decisions. Who are influen-tial people in your life, and how do they affect your decisions?

People influential How they affectin my life: my decisions:

___________________________ ____________________________

___________________________ ____________________________

___________________________ ____________________________

___________________________ ____________________________

___________________________ ____________________________

___________________________ ____________________________

___________________________ ____________________________

Please remember that the purpose of this workbook is to help you make a planful decision aboutyour next step after AmeriCorps service.

page 46

Making Good Decisions: Three Steps

Standard decisionmaking is composed of three basic steps. More discussion on the steps covered inthe following sections appears in Career and Life Skills Series, Making Decisions: Learning to TakeControl of your Life (Michael Farr and Susan Christophersen, Indiana, Ind.: JIST Works, 1991). If youhave trouble making decisions or want to understand your decisionmaking process better, the exer-cises in that book may help you.

1. IDENTIFY THE CHOICE TO BE MADE

Initially, the decisionmaker identifies options and criteria. For example, an AmeriCorps member mayhave identified five jobs/occupations/career fields of interest. Thus, he has identified five potential joboptions. His clear goal is to decide which option among the five he will pursue in his job search.

What are your job options at this time?

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

For example, what criteria might a job-seeking AmeriCorps member use to choose among hisfive options? Perhaps he has six criteria for any job he seeks, in order of importance:

* he must be able to work with elementary school-age children;

* he wants to be able to create programs for elementary school-age children;

* he wants to attend school during the day;

* he must be able to enter his next job with no additional training or experience;

* he needs a salary of at least $15,000 a year; and

* he doesn’t want to work shifts or put in much overtime.

How will you choose among your own options? What are your criteria for your choice? Listthem below.

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

2. PRIORITIZE AND COMPARE

During your search, you will need to prioritize your criteria—that is, rank them from mostimportant to least important. Let’s take the case of the AmeriCorps member just described. Forhim, working with elementary school-age children, having the opportunity to create programsfor the children, and being able to attend school during the day while working were the threemost important criteria for his decision.

Following is an example of a simple decision matrix. It lists options horizontally along the topand criteria vertically down the left.

SAMPLE DECISION MATRIX

Options Social Work Parent Pre-School Elem. During- Elem. After-Assistant Educator Aide School Aide School Aide

Criteria

Elementary

Programming

Day School

No More Training

Salary

No Shifts

X X

X X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

?

X

X

Create your own decision matrix below. Along the top, list the five career fields/jobs/occupations(or non-job options) that most interest you. In the left column, list your criteria (from most impor-tant to least important) as shown in the example.

YOUR DECISION MATRIX

Options _________ _________ _________ _________ _________

Criteria

____________

____________

____________

____________

____________

____________

The next step is to complete the matrix by placing an X in the space where any option meets a crite-rion. Look at the sample matrix again. Notice that the most important criterion—working with ele-mentary school-age children—is available to the AmeriCorps member in three of his five options.Now complete your own matrix. If you are unsure how to respond in one or more blocks, go back toyour research notes or continue your research until you are clear on your options and criteria.

Now it’s time to compare the options in your matrix. Look at each option separately. What doeseach offer? What does it not offer?

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

You have now prioritized and compared your options.

3. MAKE THE DECISION

In this final step, you choose the best option and state reasons for your choice. In the example, theAmeriCorps member might choose option five because it meets all of his criteria. Thus, his jobsearch would focus on option five opportunities.

Now make a similar decision for yourself. Which of your options seems the best? When youdecide, circle the option and write your reasons for choosing it. Be explicit. Take a look at the state-ment of the AmeriCorps member we’ve been following. He might say something like the following:

I will look for a job in an after-school program. Such a position will allow me to work withelementary school-age children, create programming for them, and attend school myselfduring the day (while the children are in school). Further, based on my research about thisfield, I will not need additional training or experience and will earn about $15,000 per year.

Write your own statement, using the information from your decision matrix.

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

The above statement reflects your objective and why you chose it. Read the statement aloud. Is itaccurate? Does it feel right? If not, go through the decisionmaking exercise again. If it does feelright, move on to the next section.

page47

page 48

Taking Risks

All decisions involve some level of risk.Following are four approaches to decisionmak-ing that determine a person’s risk-taking style.

* Wish approach. People using the wishapproach ignore risk and focus on whatthey want. They go after what they wantwithout thinking of the consequences.

* Safe approach. Those who use the safeapproach choose outcomes with the highestprobability of success. They play it safe.

* Escape approach. People using theescape approach choose outcomes withthe highest risk and those most likely to

fail. As a result, they tend to fail in what-ever enterprise the decision leads to.

* Combination approach. With the combi-nation approach, people choose highlydesirable options that are balanced withcalculated risk.

(J. Hoppin and H. Splete (Eds.), Curriculumfor Career Development Facilitators, OaklandUniversity, Rochester, Mich., 1996).

Perhaps your decision to join AmeriCorpswas a large risk for you—or maybe it was norisk at all. When you made the decision to joinAmeriCorps, which of the four approaches didyou use? What level of risk do you feel com-fortable with?

Setting Goals

To get to where you want to be, whetheremployment or another option,you will need to set some goals.You have probably been settingand meeting goals throughoutyour AmeriCorps service; now isthe time to focus on goals for the next step in your life.

Remember that effective goal settingdepends upon the goals being:

* specific

* behavioral (i.e., requiring you to do some-thing)

* measurable

* realistic

* sequential

* on a timeline

For example, although “to find work” is agoal, it is not useful to a job-seeker because itis not specific (what kind of work?), behav-ioral (what has to be done to find work?), mea-surable (how will the job-seeker know she hasfound what she is looking for?), realistic (is thejob attainable?), or sequential (does each goalbuild on previous goals?). Moreover, “to findwork” has no timeline.

Compare that objective with the goal-settingcriteria described in the bullets above.

1. Is this job-search objective specific? Yes,it is. The goal is to seek a job with very

specific characteristics as outlined in theobjective.

2. Is the objective behav-ioral? No, it does not outlinethe steps needed to meet theobjective.

3. Is this job-search objective measurable?Yes. If a new job fits all the criteria out-lined in the objective—salary, workingwith kids, time to go to school, etc.—itwill meet this standard.

4. Is this objective realistic? Both yes andmaybe. The job-seeker is qualified forsuch jobs, but are such jobs available?

5. Is this job-search objective sequential?No. There are no steps laid out toachieve the objective.

6. Does this objective have a timeline? No.No timeline has been set.

As you see, this job-search objective willneed rewriting. Here’s how it might read onceall the goal-setting components are included:

A. I will look for a job in an after-schoolprogram. Such a position will permit meto work with elementary school-agechildren, create programming for them,and attend school myself during the day(while the kids are in regular school). Iwill need no additional training or expe-rience, and will earn about $15,000 peryear. I will find such a job no later thansix months from today.

B. In the first month, I will begin my jobsearch by meeting and conducting infor-

you willneed to setsome goals

When I joined AmeriCorps, I used the __________________________ risk-taking style.

In pursuing the job search objective I defined, I want to be able to change/ keep/moderate myrisk-taking style. Here’s why I plan to change or moderate my risk-taking style:

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

page49

mation interviews with the principal of every elementary school in the metropolitan area. Inthis way, I will get referrals to administrators of after-school programs throughout the area.I will also read the classified ads in the two local newspapers every Sunday, applying forappropriate after-school jobs.

C. In the second month, I will continue my activities of the first month, and will also volunteerwith an after-school program two afternoons a week. If necessary, I will seek and begin apart-time evening job to make money so I can continue my job search.

D. At the beginning of each week I will assign myself job-search tasks for the following fiveworkdays. I will work at least forty hours per week on my job search. At the end of each weekI will report to Dan, my former AmeriCorps colleague, about my activities of that week. Danwill question me about what I learned, how job prospects look, and whether my goals needto change. With his help, I will change my goals as necessary.

NOW IT’S YOUR TURN.

1. Write your own job-search objective below.

2. Check your objective against the goal-setting criteria.

3. Expand your objective to meet the goal-setting criteria.

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

page 50

Becoming Confident About Your Decision and Goals

The next step is to become comfortable with and confident about the decision(s) you have madeand the goals you have set. One way to practice talking about your decision and goals is to talkwith important people in your life. They can help you “fine-tune” and articulate your future asyou would like it to be.

Look back to the section where you listed the most influential people in your life. Choose five ofthem and make an appointment with each. If they do not live within local traveling distance, callthem on the telephone, correspond by e-mail, or write them a letter. Tell each person about yourgoal and about how and when you plan to meet it. Seek feedback and encouragement. Ask forsupport as you begin your search.

In the space below, list the five people you identified and describe what happened during yourmeeting with each.

Name of Contact Advice/Encouragement

1. ____________________________ ______________________

______________________

2. ____________________________ ______________________

______________________

3. ____________________________ ______________________

______________________

4. ____________________________ ______________________

______________________

5. ____________________________ ______________________

______________________

Announcing Your Goal

Your final step is to announce your goal and the plans you have made to achieve it. Make copiesof your revised goal and tape it above your desk, in your car, on the refrigerator, and anywhereelse you can think of so you will be confronted with your goal every day. These will serve as areminder to keep going.

Share your goal with the important people in your life, and describe the methods by which you willwork toward it. When you talk about your decision, it will seem less frightening and more do-able inyour own mind. At the same time, it lets others know of your commitment. Both will be helpful asyou begin your job search or move along the path toward another option.

MORE HELP AVAILABLE

There are scores of resources available to help you with self-assessment and career planning.See Appendix D, page 96, for career planning resources. Some of the self-assessment process canbe done through a computerized career planning program and follow-up with a career planningprofessional. DISCOVER from American College Testing and SIGI and SIGI+ from theEducational Testing Service are two such programs. They may be found at local community col-leges, colleges and universities, government job services, and one-stop career centers. Thoseorganizations may also sponsor career planning workshops or classes. Check out the career plan-ning resources in your local libraries and career centers.

page51

A fter taking a close look at yourselfand doing some research and goalsetting, you may feel more ready tothink about future options.

In October 1997, 135 former membersresponded to a survey by AmeriCorps Alums,Inc. Among respondents, 44 percent weregoing to school, 37 percent were working withnonprofit organizations, 17 percent wereworking in education, and 13 percent wereworking in governmental organizations.(Percentages add up to more than 100 percentbecause many respondents are doing morethan one thing.) Whatoption will youchoose? To help youwith your planning,this part of the work-book explores several possible options:

* another year with AmeriCorps;

* more education or training;

* employment;

* starting a community-based organiza-tion or business; and

* doing nothing.

Read the sections you believe most apply toyou right now, but don’t reject other possibili-ties too hastily.

Option:Another year withAmeriCorpsOne option is to enroll in a second term of service with AmeriCorps. Because policiesconcerning re-enrollment vary among pro-grams, check with your program leader orsupervisor or the state commission for currentinformation.

Returning to the same program. Althoughsecond terms are possible, program directors

have no obligation tore-enroll anyAmeriCorps member.To be eligible for a sec-

ond term, members must satisfactorily com-plete the first term of service (which will like-ly include a good performance review, amongother program-specific expectations). If youare interested in a third term, be aware that

education awards are not available for morethan two terms.

Enrolling in another AmeriCorps program.AmeriCorps members seeking to enroll in adifferent program will have to do the legworkto find that program. Your program director orthe state commission may be able to help youfind AmeriCorps positions for the next year.

The main differences among AmeriCorps,AmeriCorps*VISTA, and AmeriCorps*NCCCpositions are outlined in a handout, Summaryof Programs, available from the AmeriCorpsrecruiting office. The handout can be obtainedat www.americorps.gov or by calling 1-800-942-2677. The handout also indicates how toapply for each program.

Your Motivation

Why are you considering a second term of ser-vice? Do you want to complete a project youstarted in your first term? Do you want a sim-ilar experience in a different community? Willyou gain new knowledge or skills? Be clearabout your motivation, both with yourself andwith program directors.

If your reasons for wanting to re-enroll arenot totally clear to you, review your self-assessment, which may help you decide whatoption is best for you—maybe it’s anotheryear of service, but maybe not.

The main differences among AmeriCorps,AmeriCorps*VISTA, and AmeriCorps*NCCCpositions are outlined on the AmeriCorps web-site, www.americorps.gov/for_individuals/ready,or by calling the AmeriCorps information hot-

line, 1-800-942-2677. Information on how toapply for each program is also available on thewebsite, by e-mailing [email protected], or by calling the AmeriCorps informationhotline.

Option: Moreeducation ortrainingA key purpose of AmeriCorps is to further theeducation of AmeriCorps members. As youknow, a major benefit of your service will beyour education award—which you may useat any point within seven years of completingyour AmeriCorps term of service. This sectionand Appendixes A and B contain informationon a variety of topics for members who arethinking about finishing high school, enteringa Job Corps program, or seeking postsec-ondary education or training.

As you consider how you will use yourAmeriCorps award, please bear in mindthat—in this country, at least—the moreeducation workers have, the more they oftenmake in salary. According to the U.S. Bureauof Labor Statistics, these were the weeklysalaries by level of education for full-timewage and salary workers over twenty-fiveyears of age. (These statistics refer to bothsexes of all races in 1994.) Notice the regularincrease of average salary as educational lev-els rise, particularly the change from highschool graduate to college graduate.

economics provide a goodreason for returning to

school

6Looking atyour options

page 52

Level of Average Education Weekly Salary

Less than high school diploma $374

Under one year of high school $325

1-3 years of high school $382

4 years, no diploma $525

High school graduate or above $657

High school graduate, no college $488

Some college, no degree $571

Associate degree $587

Occupational program $577

Academic program $599

College graduate $937

Bachelor’s degree $855

Master’s degree $998

Professional degree $1,435

Doctoral degree $1,245

As you can see, economicsprovide a good reason forreturning to school. There areother compelling reasons as well. Before makingyour decision, however, you will want to reflectupon at least three questions:

* What do you expect to get out of more edu-cation?

* Will going back to school get you whereyou want to be?

* Do you realize the commitment neces-sary to complete a degree?

These questions can beanswered best if you conduct athorough self-assessment anddo lots of research. Refer toyour self-assessment in Part5 and to the research andinformation gathering sectionthat follows the self-assessment.More education is almost always agood investment, particularly when youhave your AmeriCorps education award to helpfinance it.

Finish High School

In today’s job market, a high school diploma isjust about essential. If you have not yet com-pleted the requirements for your diploma,there are two routes you can follow. Eachrequires time and energy.

RETURNING TO HIGHSCHOOL

One way to get a high school diploma is to returnto a high school in your region. In many schooldistricts, you can do this in one of three ways:

* You can attend classes just as any stu-dent of high school age does, spending

five days a week at school.

* You can enter a work-study or coopera-tive education program. As an adultwho’s been out in the world, you mightprefer to go to school part-time, attend-ing only the classes needed for gradua-

tion and working as well. Someschools even offer programs in

which the school works withlocal employers to placeselected students in worksituations.

* You can enter a specialhigh school program focusing on

job training. In these programs, com-monly called vocational education pro-grams, students learn mechanics, bar-bering, electronics, plumbing, licensedpractical nursing, carpentry, medicalassisting, clerking, hairstyling, or othervocations in actual laboratory settingsat a vocational high school.

To find out what your local options are,make an appointment with the principal orguidance counselor at your local high school.If the school doesn’t offer the kind of programyou want, ask if other schools in the district do.Generally, you will need to go through a specialapplication process for work-study, coopera-tive education, and vocational education pro-grams. Because school districts usually offeronly one vocational school or cooperative edu-cation program, competition can be tough forthe few slots available. You may find, however,that your AmeriCorps experience (and other

work) enhances your prospects for admission.

GETTING YOUR GED

Another way to complete high school is topass the General Educational Development(GED) test, a very common way for people overage eighteen to get a high school credential.Instead of attending classes, people only needto pass a high school equivalency test offeredin both English and Spanish. Upon passing,test takers receive the GED credential, which isrecognized nationwide. Generally, about 70percent pass the test on the first try.

Although people are often nervous abouttaking the GED test, they can take classes thathelp prepare them. (These are often offered bylocal school districts.) GED preparation classesoffer an introduction to the test and, some-times, a chance to practice taking a test. Inaddition, most public libraries have guides tohelp you prepare. Even if you feel confidentabout passing the test, it would be wise tocheck out one of these guides. That way, youcan familiarize yourself with the test formatand get some helpful tips. If your local highschool or public library has no informationabout GED testing and/or preparation, callyour state’s Department of Education for help.

If you lived in Madison, Wisconsin, forexample, here’s how you could go about find-ing GED information. First, you could contactthe principal or guidance counselor at yourneighborhood high school, or the career centeror academic advisors at the Madison AreaTechnical College, or your neighborhood pub-lic library staff. If none of those avenuesworked, you could call the, Adult Education or

more education is almost always a good investment

page53

Basic Education Division of the WisconsinDepartment of Education in Madison.

Currently, the GED test covers writing skills,social studies, science, literature and the arts,and mathematics. According to the AmericanCouncil on Education, which develops andadministers the test, the GED measures “broadconcepts and general knowledge, not how wellthey [test takers] remember details, precisedefinitions, or historical facts. In that way thetest can be more fair to those who lack acade-mic or classroom experience or have gainedtheir education informally.”

Job Corps Training Programs

A program funded by the U.S. Department ofLabor, Job Corps offers tuition-free training inmore than 150 occupations to eligible U.S. cit-izens between the ages of sixteen and twenty-four. In addition to their job training, Job Corpsparticipants can receive basic education, roomand board, medical care, clothing, counseling,parenting education, recreation, placementservices, and a monthly living allowance.

To be eligible for the Job Corps, you must befrom a home considered low-income; be froman area that makes it hard for you to get aneducation or a job; and be able to complete andbenefit from the training you would get at aJob Corps center. Following are just a few of theoccupations in which Job Corps offers training:

* dental and medical assistant

* licensed practical nurse

* bookkeeper

* secretary

* word processor

* pre-apprentice for bricklaying, carpen-try, electrician, plasterer, and plumber

* cosmetologist

* teacher aide

* surveyor and drafting assistant

* air conditioning and refrigeratormechanic

* heavy-equipment mechanic

* security guard

* baker

* cook

* meat cutter

Call 1-800-733-JOBS to locate the near-est Job Corps center.

PostsecondaryEducation

The next level of educationafter high school requiresattendance at one of three typesof schools—postsecondary voca-tional school, community college, or four-yearcollege.

POSTSECONDARY VOCATIONALSCHOOLS

Designed for high school graduates, postsec-

ondary vocational schools train students forspecific vocations. Sometimes these schools arecalled technical schools. Although very simi-lar to the high school vocational programsalready described, post-high school training ismore complete and/or complex.

Postsecondary vocational schools can bepublic or private: A public vocational school isa nonprofit institution; a private vocationalschool, sometimes called a proprietary school,is operated for profit. Generally, public voca-tional schools offer many courses of study, andprivate vocational schools offer just one. Forexample, barber colleges or computer schools,which teach only one specific skill, are usual-ly privately owned.

Often, because they are supported by taxpay-ers, public vocational schools are less expen-sive than private vocational schools. If youqualify, however, financial aid is often avail-able for either type of school. To check on your

eligibility, call the financial aid officeof the school you wish to attend.

This office will have informa-tion on eligibility require-ments and on the applicationprocess for financial aid. Inthe unlikely event the school

has no such office, contact theRegistrar.

Depending upon the course, you mayspend anywhere from a few months to twoyears in a postsecondary vocational program.Most schools offer classes at night and/or onweekends to accommodate adult students whowork. Instructors tend to be people with lots ofhands-on experience in the field. This type of

instructor (and school) can be particularlyhelpful to students who learn better by doingthan by reading or by hearing lectures. Uponcompletion of their courses of study, graduatesof postsecondary vocational schools earn a cer-tificate of completion or an Associate degree.

Sometimes students are preparing forcareers that require certification or licensingby the government. For example, in most stateselectricians and licensed practical nurses mustpass written exams if they are to practice theirvocations there. If you decide to enroll in a pro-gram that requires government licensing, besure to find out what material the course coversand how well the school’s graduates have donein past testing. That will give you an idea ofhow well the school prepares its students.

COMMUNITY COLLEGES

Public schools offering an Associate two-yeardegree, community colleges provide academicprograms such as English, psychology, andmath. Because classes are usually taught byprofessors rather than by teaching assistants,students may find the instruction at communi-ty colleges better than that available for first-and second-year students at some universities.Sometimes community colleges also offervocational programs. Like vocational schools,community colleges welcome working adultsas students, scheduling classes in the lateafternoon, at night, and on weekends.

Often, a community college serves as a pathto public four-year schools in the same state.Thus, many credits earned at the communitycollege will transfer to public four-year col-

page 54

leges. This is not true for all courses, however.So if you plan to attend a community collegefor two years and then go to a four-year school,check about transferability of credits beforesigning up for classes.

In most states, you will find a community col-lege within commuting distance. The quality ofthe instruction, the relatively short drive, andthe ability to live at home and/or keep a localjob while studying leads many people to attendthese schools. Moreover, a community collegemay cost less overall than a four-year school.

FOUR-YEAR SCHOOLS

A four-year college graduate earns either aBachelor of Arts degree (B.A.) or a Bachelor ofScience degree (B.S.). If you major in Frenchliterature, say, or Latin American studies, youwould earn a B.A. History, political science,and African-American studies are otherexamples of a major that would yield aBachelor of Arts degree. If your primaryemphasis is biology or chemistry, your degreewould be a B.S. The same would hold true formathematics and engineering.

Within the four-year category are both col-leges and universities, with the difference relat-ing to size, mission, and/or funding source.

Colleges. These schools tend to be smallerthan universities and often emphasize qualityteaching. Many of these schools are privateand rely upon tuition, fees, and fundraising fortheir budgets.

Universities. Generally schools with largeenrollments, universities often place consider-able emphasis on research (sometimes more sothan on teaching). If they are public institu-tions, as universities often are, they can chargeless tuition because of state subsid-ization. The larger the school, the wider the pos-sibilities for study. Some small liberal arts col-leges, for example, can’t offer such specializedprograms as engineering, forestry, or nursing.

Most states have a comprehensive state uni-versity system into which community collegesfeed students. InCalifornia, forexample, there arethree branches ofhigher education—the community col-lege system; theUniversity ofCalifornia (which has several other campusesbesides the more commonly known Berkeley andLos Angeles); and California State University(also with several campuses). Students canattend four-year colleges for the entire four yearsor begin at a community college and then trans-fer at some point. Not all state university systemsare required to accept community college gradu-ates for admission, however.

If you decide to pursue a four-year degree inyour home state, you will need to know thecomponents of its system of higher education.For example, is there a community college sys-tem feeding into the four-year colleges? Whatis the closest college or university to you? Is itpublic or private? Does it offer a degree pro-

gram that closely matches your career inter-ests? Find out what’s available.

MORE HELP AVAILABLE

For information on the world of higher educa-tion in general, see Appendix B, which covers anumber of topics in some depth. Whether youneed help in choosing a course of study or in fig-uring out how to apply for admission and/orfinancial aid, the discussions in Appendix B canprovide you with the information you need orgive you tips on finding it. A bibliography relat-

ing to higher educa-tion is included inthe HigherEducation section ofAppendix D, page97.

Graduate School

At the next educational level are graduateschools where students pursue specialized, pro-fessional-level knowledge and skills. A collegedegree is a prerequisite to entering graduateschool. If such a path interests you, readthrough Appendix C. Also check the HigherEducation section of Appendix D, page 97.

Option:EmploymentWill you seek work as your next step afterAmeriCorps? If so, what type of work and

where? In what type of organization? Howwill you look for work? Do you have mar-ketable skills and experience? This sectionfocuses on employment and job searching. Inworking your way through the material, youwill be referring to the self-assessment youcompleted at the beginning of Part 5 and to thesections on research and information gather-ing and on goal setting in Part 5.

Current Employment Trends

Job Opportunities. You’ve probably heard theterm “downsizing,” which refers to decreasingthe number of employees in a company ororganization through layoffs. According toPeople Trends (published by the StrategyGroup in Dublin, Ohio), from 1992 to 1995,IBM laid off 122,000 employees; AT&T,83,000; General Motors, 74,000; the U.S. PostalService, 55,000; and Sears, Roebuck and Co.,50,000. Most new jobs are being created insmall and medium-sized companies.

In projections for U.S. employment through2005, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureauof Labor Statistics expects the largest increas-es in job opportunities in services, retailtrades, health, and education. Twenty occupa-tions will make up half of all employmentgrowth—cashiers, janitors, waiters, homehealth aides, guards, nurses’ aides, retailsalespersons, teachers’ aides, child care work-ers, registered nurses, managers, systemsanalysts, secondary and elementary schoolteachers, marketing and sales supervisors,receptionists, secretaries (except legal and

page55

deciding to go to graduateor professional school is abig decision that can leadto quality education and

entry into a profession orcareer of your choice

medical), clerical supervisors and managers,and maintenance repairers.

Occupations that will have the highest per-centage growth, according to the Bureau ofLabor Statistics, are personal aides, homehealth aides, systems analysts, computer engi-neers, electronic-pagination systems workers,occupational therapists and assistants, physi-cal therapists and aides, residential counselors,human service workers, manicurists, medicalrecords technicians, amusement and recre-ation attendants, corrections officers, opera-tions research analysts, and guards. (Note: Toget information about what people in theseoccupations do, ask at the local public libraryfor the Dictionary of Occupational Titles andthe Occupational Outlook Handbook, both pub-lished by the U.S. Department of Labor. Moreabout these two books appears in theself-assessment section of Part 5.)

Contractual Employment.In a recent survey of itsmembership, the AmericanManagement Association(which includes 8,000 of thenation’s largest companies)found that employees who survivelayoffs work longer hours to make upfor the absence of those who have been laid off.Further, hiring of temporary and/or contractu-al workers after the downsizing is common.Hiring these employees tends to be less expen-sive because they accrue no benefits and theywork for a limited time only, with no furtherexpectations.

According to some business authors, con-tractual and temporary employees are the

wave of the future. For some, “traditional”employment already seems to be on its wayout; increasingly, the forty-hour week fortwelve months a year (and a salary thatincludes benefits) is giving way to part-timeand temporary and contractual work.

Some futurists predict that employment suc-cess in the next century will require eachworker to create a “portfolio” career, with oneor two very specific knowledge and skill areasand several employers. Basically, such work-ers will be their own employers, marketingand hiring themselves out to various organi-zations and companies for certain projects.

For example, in the new scheme, a technicalwriter might have an editing contract thatrequires one week a month for a year; a three-

month contract to write a manual at home,with an agreed-upon compensation

package no matter how manyhours go toward the manual;and a third contract to teachtwo technical writing classesper semester at the local

community college. A writerand teacher, this worker mar-

kets herself as both. Because sheis not a “full-time” employee at any of

the three locations, she must pick up her ownhealth, life, and disability insurance; herSocial Security contributions; and any savingsfor her retirement. She earns no vacation orsick-leave time with this employment pattern.

If the trend toward contractual employmentintensifies, individuals will have much moreresponsibility for their work lives in the nearfuture. For example, they will have to:

* know and articulate regularly theirknowledge areas and skills;

* market themselves all the time;

* stay very current in their fields; and

* remain flexible and be skilled at timemanagement and financial planning.

For those who get bored easily, want to bechallenged regularly, and/or like change, thenew work dynamic will be easy. It will beharder for people who like stability, dislikechange, and/or seek supervision.

A Technical Trend. Another major employ-ment trend is toward technical training andjobs. By the year 2000, eight of every ten jobswill not require a bachelor’s degree, accordingto several national job surveys. The new jobswill be technical—such as film and video pro-duction, dental lab work, laboratory researchsupport, and microcomputer repair. OfFlorida’s top thirty future jobs recentlydescribed in the Miami Herald, none requireda bachelor’s degree. (J. Barry. “Career pathsgoing technical,” October 29, 1995). Mostrequired a two-year associate degree or train-ing certificate. Among the thirty top prospectswere dental hygienist, licensed practicalnurse, automotive technician, truck driver,graphic and commercial artist, electrician,police officer, firefighter, legal and/or medicalsecretary, and paralegal.

The U.S. Economy: ThreeSectors

Throughout this chapter there are references tothree sectors of the U.S. economy—public, non-profit, and private.

Public Sector. The public sector encompassesthe government—federal, state, county, region-al, and local. Into this sector fall AmeriCorpsmembers who worked with or through state uni-versities, the Environmental Protection Agency(national or state level), the U.S. Department ofAgriculture, state or city departments of parksand recreation, the Neighborhood ReinvestmentCorporation, and so on.

Nonprofit Sector. Here we find organiza-tions whose intent is to break even rather thanmake a profit. Often, such organizations areservice organizations—the Red Cross, agen-cies, hospitals and clinics, homeless shelters,food banks, professional associations, publicpolicy groups, advocacy groups, and counsel-ing centers. Also falling within the nonprofitsector are such organizations as Habitat forHumanity, United Way, Teach for America,National Multiple Sclerosis Society, I Have aDream Foundation, and YWCAs/YMCAs. Allof these are examples of nonprofit organiza-tions that host AmeriCorps members.

Private Sector. Organizations and compa-nies in the private sector are created to makemoney for their owners and/or shareholders.Some examples of large organizations in theprivate sector include IBM, AT&T, GeneralMotors, and Sears. Smaller private sectororganizations include restaurants, accountingfirms, welding companies, grocery stores,

page 56

attorneys, small manufacturers, and privatemedical and dental practices.

If your next step after AmeriCorps is employ-ment, which sector of the economy do youthink might offer the best employment possi-bilities for someone with your skills, knowl-edge, goals, and interests? The material thatfollows will help you look at that question insome depth.

Career Development Theory

As you consider an employment plan, it mightbe useful to look at the way some expertsbelieve careers progress. The following modelpresents four stages, the first of which is explo-ration—where you may find yourself today.(This model was developed by Donald Super inThe Psychology of Careers. New York: Harper& Row, 1957.)

E x p l o r a t i o n .People in this stageare exploringcareer possibilities,making decisions about which career field toenter, and beginning to pursue that field.

Establishment. At this step, people are work-ing hard to establish themselves, to becomesecure, and to advance in their chosen careers.

Maintenance. Here, people are seeking tomaintain higher levels of responsibility and tostay abreast of new developments in theirfields. At this stage, employees may face chal-lenges created by age, family issues, health,and/or increased competition.

Disengagement. In this stage, people beginto reduce workload, delegate certain responsi-bilities, and plan for post-employment life.

Progression through the career developmentstages was originally thought to be linear—that is, moving from one stage to the next overa lifetime. The past pattern of career develop-ment is depicted by the first graphic below.Over the past decades, however, career “recy-cling” and career adaptability have becomewidespread. For example, contemporary work-ers may go through several cycles of the fourstages in a lifetime as depicted in the secondgraphic below. New cycles begin as workers’values, interests, abilities, and needschange—or as their employers downsize orchange their orientation. In the second graph-ic below, each circle represents a cycle of experience, establishment, maintenance,

and disengagement(D.E. Super, A.S.Thompson, and R.H.Lindeman. AdultCareer ConcernsInventory: Manual

for Research and Exploratory Use inCounseling. Palo Alto: Consulting Psy-chologists Press, p. 88).

AmeriCorps service may have opened a pos-sible new path of employment to you, turnedyou on to some new ways of thinking aboutwork, helped you to eliminate cer-tain possibilities, and/or madeyou even more confused aboutyour employment future! Ifyou are in a confused state,don’t worry. Help is on theway in the upcoming sections.

Conducting a Self-Directed Job Search: Five Phases

The most effective job searches require severalphases—self-assessment, research, decision-making, action, and, quite often, readjust-ment. Although the first of these phases—self-assessment, or taking stock—is oftenignored, it is really the foundation upon whichall others depend. The importance of self-assessment cannot be overemphasized.

You will notice that taking action appears asthe fourth phase in the search. Usually, how-ever, this is the first thing novice job seekersdo—writing a resume, applying for vacantpositions, and so on. But if you skip the firstthree phases, you may find yourself conduct-ing a longer job search and one that yields dis-appointing results.

Part 5 guides you through these first threevital phases; perhaps you have done themalready. If not, work through them thoroughly.Then move ahead to the fourth and fifth phas-es. Although it doesn’t relate directly to yourjob search, the section “Being Smart at Your

New Job” on page 72 can help you keep the jobyou find. Be sure to work through that mater-

ial as well.

Phase One of theJob Search: Self-Assessment

In this phase, job seekersbegin to sort out what they

want in a job. One way theycan do this is by examining

their values, interests, skills, andpreferences. Perhaps you did this

already in the self-assessment portion of Part5. If not, work through it now because it willhelp you discover who/where you are at thismoment.

Phase Two: Research andGathering Information

You may have done much—or possibly all—ofthis work already in Part 5. If you did not, referback to pages 38–41 now, as that material willhelp you research, identify, and explore workoptions. In this phase, you are looking for thetypes of work and/or employers that share thevalues, interests, skills, and personal consider-ations you identified in your self-assessment.

Phase Three:Decisionmaking and GoalSetting

When you have thoroughly researched yourcareer and employment options, you are readyfor the tasks of the third phase. You will decide

individuals will have muchmore responsibility fortheir work lives in the

near future

page57

which career fields or types of jobs or occupa-tions you are going to seek. Then you will beready to set some goals for the job searchprocess. To get some help with this phase, referto Part 5, which deals with making decisionsand setting goals.

Phase Four: Taking Action

In this phase, job seekers begin their activesearch for a job. You will note that some tasks ofthis phase are those most job seekers do first, suchas writing a resume and applying for jobs.However, the process usually is shorter, with bet-ter results, when the job seeker first takes the timeand thought to go through the first three phas-es—self-assessment; research and informationgathering; and decisionmaking and goal setting.

Please don’t take shortcuts, because youmay sabotage yourself. After all, if you don’tknow where you are going, how will you getthere? Follow the road map through every stepof the job search cycle.


* How can you best represent yourself toprospective employers?

* What strategies are most effective foryour job search?

* Who will help you with your job search?

TASKS TO COMPLETE:

* Develop an action plan.

* Write a basic resume.

* Network, network, network!

* Target employers who hire people whodo what you want to do.

* Apply for work formally and informally.

* Practice interviewing.

* Interview.

JOB SEARCH ACTION PLAN

When you reach this point, you may find ituseful to create both a long-term plan and a

short-term plan. For example, use your long-term plan as a way to plot out what you will dofor the next several weeks or months. For yourshort-term plan, determine a specific plan foraction every week. Following is an example ofa weekly plan. You can copy it or design yourown plan for each week.

Besides keeping you focused on the matter athand—seeking work—a weekly plan willhelp you keep track of what you’ve done (andwhat you haven’t). Sometimes job seekers fool

themselves into thinking they’ve done muchmore than they actually have. So check yourexpectations. Make them reasonable, yet chal-lenging. The more time you spend on the jobsearch, the better. In fact, try to treat jobsearching as a full-time job; spend up to fortyhours a week on the various elements of yoursearch. But also be reasonable. Take time toenjoy family, friends, and community andleisure activities.

page 58

Job Search Action Plan for Week of: _____________________________________

What I’ll Do What Resources I’ll Use By When What Happened Follow-Up

______________________________________________________________________________________________1.______________________________________________________________________________________________2.______________________________________________________________________________________________3.______________________________________________________________________________________________4.______________________________________________________________________________________________5. ______________________________________________________________________________________________6.______________________________________________________________________________________________7.______________________________________________________________________________________________8.______________________________________________________________________________________________9.______________________________________________________________________________________________10.

YOUR RESUME

One way to get your foot in the door of aprospective employer is by developing aresume that summarizes your skills, accom-plishments, and experience. Even for informa-tion interviews, you will need a resume. Thinkof this document as a form of advertisement foryou—one that helps you get interviews. (Seethe end of the fourth phase for a sample coverletter to accompany resumes you send out.)

Although several types of resume formatsexist, the two most common are chronologicaland functional.

Chronological. In the chronological resume,job seekers describe their skills, accomplish-ments, and experience. They list these by job,starting with the most recent and workingbackward. (See page 62.) You probably shoulduse the chronological resume unless you havea compelling reason not to.

Functional. Not all employers like this formof resume, though ithelps career-changersor generalists showwhat they can do for anew employer. Thefunctional resume lists skills and accomplish-ments by skill area, rather than by job. Actualjob titles, organizations, and years of employ-ment appear in a separate section. (See page63.) Even if you decide that a functionalresume is best for you, you should create achronological resume as well. Some prospec-tive employers will ask for the chronologicaltype eventually, even if they accept the func-tional at first.

RESUME ELEMENTS

Here are the general elements of a resume,listed in order:

Contact Information. In this section, putyour name, address, and telephone number(one with an answering machine). Alsoinclude a fax number and e-mail address ifyou have them.

Objective. List an objective here, if you haveone and it is specific. For example, a job titlesuch as “After-School Program Aide” could beused as an objective. If your objective is notspecific, don’t put it in your resume.

Summary of Qualifications. For this section,write a brief summary highlighting yourskills, experience, and accomplishments thatapply to the job you are seeking.

Employment Experience. For chronologicalresumes, list employment by position, notingjob titles, names of organizations, locations,

and dates by year. For afunctional resume, listemployment by skillareas, focusing on skillsand accomplishments

rather than duties and responsibilities.

Be as specific as you can about your skills andaccomplishments. Begin each description ofyour work with an action verb in the past tense.You will find a list of action verbs at the end ofthe fourth phase. Choose from that list, or useother action verbs. Also, use numbers as muchas possible if they are impressive. For example,instead of writing “supervised staff members,”write “supervised three clerks and two interns.”

Education and Training. If you have adegree, list it, along with institution and dategranted. Do not list courses, majors, and col-lege activities unless they are clearly relevant.Be sure to include all the training you havereceived as an AmeriCorps member. There’sno need to list your high school; if you haven’tattended college but are a high school gradu-ate, concentrate on training only—create asection called “Training,” as shown in thesample of a chronological resume

Special Skills. If these will be needed in the jobfor which you are applying, list them. Considerlisting computer and language skills also.

Note: Your resume should not include a reference list or personal information such asbirthdate, health status, or family information.

GETTING STARTED ON YOURRESUME

The process of drafting a resume—particular-ly describing your experience in the languageof action and accomplishments—can beintimidating. If you’re unable to get started,follow these steps:

1. Complete all the easy resume elementsfrom the previous list, using the sampleresumes on pages 61 to 63. Make room for thesummary of qualifications and descriptions ofyour experience even if you’re not ready to dothose.

2. Start with your AmeriCorps experience. Ifyou have a description of your service assign-ment, review it and divide your responsibilitiesinto general categories—such as direct ser-

vice, administration, community development,budgeting, program design, evaluation, andneeds assessment. Begin by writing down whatyou did today as an AmeriCorps member. Thenplace each of those activities or tasks into one ofthe responsibility categories you’ve created. Atthis point, don’t worry about language; justmatch activities and tasks with categories.

If there are things you do often as anAmeriCorps member but didn’t do today, addthese to your activity/task list. Categorize themby responsibility.

Next, decide which of your responsibility cat-egories you think your resume should empha-size. Of these, choose the two or three that aremost important. Then reword each activity ortask in those responsibility categories. One wayto do this is to have your description incorpo-rate an action verb from the list on page 69.Use numbers whenever you can to describeyour accomplishments. (Review the resumesamples to get an idea of how you might usenumbers in your own resume.)

3. Using the process described above forresponsibilities, follow these steps:

* Describe each entry in the experienceblock of your resume.

* Look for common themes among yourexperiences. If you find them, use these foryour summary of qualifications. (Reviewthe resume samples again for reference.)If you see no common themes, ask othersto help you identify them.

* Continue to refine your resume, seekingfeedback from the people who know youbest.

page59

think of your resumeas a form of

advertisement for you

Here are a few general trends to keep inmind as you put your resume together:

* Because the use of personal computersand word processing have become socommonplace for resumes, it is expectedthat resumes submitted for a specific jobvacancy will be tailored to that vacancy.So create a comprehensive “generic”resume on your computer. Then, useonly those parts of it that directly relateto the job you seek.

* A summary of qualifications is increas-ingly used as the first entry on resumes.

* Quantifiable accomplishments arebecoming the name of the game. So asmuch as you can, use numbers todescribe your work. For example, citethe size of the budget you created, thenumber of employees you supervised,the amount of savings your manage-ment resulted in—or how many treesyou planted or schools you helped repair.When the numbers are impressive, use them.

* Some careerists predict that resumeswill become obsolete in the near future.To apply for jobs, people will instead useletters that highlight accomplishments,skills, and expe-rience. Further-more, this letterwill be “broad-cast” via e-mailrather than hand-delivered or sentthrough a mail-delivery system.

* With the widespread use of the Internet,many job seekers will need to design anelectronic version of their resume. Thatversion must look very different than ahard copy so that it transmits well.Richard Bolles has recommended sever-al websites to consult for advice aboutthis process. Check out the section onresumes in Job Hunting on the Internet,Berkeley, Calif.: Ten Speed Press, 1997.

Some Final Words of Advice

* Refer to the skills exercises and self-assessment summary sheet you com-pleted in Part 5. Both contain excellentinformation to use on your resume.

* Keep your resume to one page if possi-ble. If you have worked for more thanten years, go to two pages, but rememberthat the second page will get little atten-tion. A study in the late 1980s found thateach resume received an average ofeleven seconds of attention during initialscreenings. Put all important informa-tion about yourself on the first page.

* Get feedback on your resume fromsupervisors, peers, and anyone whose

opinion you value. Butalso remember that ifyou ask ten resume“experts” about yourown resume, you’ll

probably get ten different suggestionsabout how to revise it. As you finish up,you might want to ask yourself thesequestions:

—Is the resume accurate? Don’t embellish,but also don’t be humble.

— Is the resume easy to read?Does it have enough whitespace?

— Does the resume high-light your experiencethat’s relevant to thejob you are seeking?(For example, you don’twant to use a lot of spacedescribing your experience withcomputers if you are applying to becomea counselor.)

— Are you pleased with your resume? Ifyou think your resume represents youwell, go with it. If you are not so sure,keep working.

— Critique your resume using a methoddescribed by one expert who suggestsseven areas to evaluate in a resume(Ronald Krannich. High ImpactResumes and Letters. Manassas, Va.:Impact Publications, 1990).

* Overall appearance

* Contact information

* Objective

* Organization

* Content

* Language

* Length

If you would like more help with resumewriting, look through some of the many guides

available. They include Resumes (2ndEdition) by the National Business

Employment Weekly, Throughthe Brick Wall: Resume Builderby Kate Wendleton, and TheDamn Good Resume Guideand The Resume Catalog:

200 Damn Good Examples,both by Yana Parker. These and

other resources should be availableat your public library, career center, or

bookstores.

follow the road mapthrough every step ofthe job search cycle

page 60

page 61

SAMPLEAmeriCorps*NCCC

Resume

JAM

ES

B. W

HIT

MO

RE

888

Gre

en V

alle

y D

rive

Pine

y Fo

rk, K

Y12

345

(555

) 66

6-77

77

jbw

456@

com

pu.c

om

SUM

MA

RY

OF

QU

AL

IFIC

AT

ION

S

3 ye

ars

of c

omm

unity

ser

vice

exp

erie

nce

Exc

elle

nt c

omm

unic

atio

n sk

ills

Ene

rget

ic, c

omm

itted

, sel

f-st

arte

r

Com

pute

r lit

erat

e

CO

MM

UN

ITY

SER

VIC

E E

XP

ER

IEN

CE

Am

eriC

orps

Nat

iona

l Civ

ilian

Com

mun

ity

Cor

ps

19

97-9

8

Mem

ber,

Den

ver,

Col

orad

o

• Se

lect

ed to

par

ticip

ate

in a

one

-yea

r, re

side

ntia

l, na

tiona

l ser

vice

pro

gram

.

• W

orke

d on

com

mun

ity p

roje

cts

as p

art o

f a

team

in R

ocky

Mou

ntai

n re

gion

of

U.S

. with

em

phas

is o

n en

viro

nmen

t, ed

ucat

ion,

pub

lic s

afet

y an

d hu

man

nee

ds.

• C

ompl

eted

1,7

00 h

ours

of

com

mun

ity s

ervi

ce.

• B

uilt

a na

ture

pre

serv

e an

d hi

king

trai

l in

the

Snak

e R

iver

Par

k, I

daho

.

• Sa

mpl

ed w

ater

fro

m r

iver

s an

d tr

ibut

arie

s an

d co

nduc

ted

lab

anal

ysis

of s

ampl

es w

ith E

PA, D

enve

r, fo

r 6

mon

ths.

• T

utor

ed 1

5-3r

d an

d 4t

h gr

ader

s in

rea

ding

and

ari

thm

etic

at W

illia

ms

Scho

ol,

Den

ver,

thre

e tim

es p

er w

eek

for

6 m

onth

s.

Mad

ison

Uni

vers

ity

Com

mun

ity

Init

iati

ves

Pro

gram

1995

-97

Com

mun

ity S

ervi

ce V

olun

teer

, Cha

rlot

tesv

ille,

VA

• T

utor

ed 3

adu

lts in

nei

ghbo

rhoo

d lit

erac

y pr

ogra

m, t

wic

e a

wee

k fo

r 2

year

s.

• So

rted

and

dis

trib

uted

foo

d to

ser

vice

age

ncie

s an

d fa

mili

es o

nce

a w

eek

for

a ye

ar.

• Se

rved

as

a B

ig B

roth

er to

a 1

2 ye

ar o

ld c

omm

unity

res

iden

t for

3 y

ears

.

ED

UC

AT

ION

AN

D T

RA

ININ

G

Bac

helo

rof

Sci

ence

(B

iolo

gy)

1997

Mad

ison

Uni

vers

ity, C

harl

otte

svill

e, V

A

Am

eriC

orps

*N

CC

C T

rain

ing

19

97-9

8

Cer

tifie

d in

Am

eric

an R

ed C

ross

Fir

st A

id, D

isas

ter

Rel

ief,

CPR

and

Chi

ld C

PR.

Com

plet

ed tr

aini

ng in

Div

ersi

ty, T

railb

uild

ing,

Tut

orin

g an

d C

omm

unity

Dev

elop

men

t.

SAMPLEChronological

Resume

page 62

JUA

N S

AN

CH

EZ

123

Mai

n St

reet

St. L

ouis

, MO

444

44

(555

) 22

2-33

33

OB

JEC

TIV

E:

Aft

er-S

choo

l Pro

gram

Aid

e

QU

AL

IFIC

AT

ION

S

• Fo

ur y

ears

of

expe

rien

ce a

s pr

e-sc

hool

aid

e

• B

iling

ual i

n E

nglis

h an

d Sp

anis

h

• R

esou

rcef

ul, r

elia

ble

team

-wor

ker

with

sen

se o

f hu

mor

EX

PE

RIE

NC

E

Pre

scho

ol A

ide

(Am

eriC

orps

Mem

ber)

19

95-9

6

AB

C P

resc

hool

, St.

Lou

is, M

O

• Su

perv

ised

gro

up o

f 10

thre

e-ye

ar-o

lds,

fou

r ho

urs

a da

y.

• C

reat

ed la

ngua

ge a

nd m

ath

read

ines

s ac

tiviti

es.

• Ta

ught

Spa

nish

to E

nglis

h-sp

eaki

ng c

hild

ren

and

Eng

lish

to S

pani

sh-s

peak

ing

child

ren

daily

.

• W

rote

35-

page

ori

enta

tion

man

ual f

or n

ew a

ides

.

Kin

derg

arte

n A

ide

19

92-9

5

St. M

ark’

s E

lem

enta

ry S

choo

l, St

. Lou

is, M

O

• A

ssis

ted

teac

her

with

act

iviti

es f

or 2

5 ch

ildre

n.

• M

onito

red

indi

vidu

al r

eadi

ng le

vels

; tut

ored

indi

vidu

als.

• Su

perv

ised

chi

ldre

n du

ring

rec

ess.

• Pl

anne

d fi

eld

trip

s ou

tsid

e ne

ighb

orho

od th

ree

times

a y

ear.

ED

UC

AT

ION

AN

D R

EL

AT

ED

TR

AIN

ING

Bac

helo

rof

Art

s

19

94

Wal

lace

Jam

es C

olle

ge, A

dena

, MO

Maj

or:

Eng

lish

Am

eriC

orps

Tra

inin

g, S

t. L

ouis

, MO

1995

-96

Cro

ss-C

ultu

ral C

omm

unic

atio

n, T

ime

and

Stre

ss M

anag

emen

t, C

omm

unity

D

evel

opm

ent,

Nee

ds A

sses

smen

t

Dio

cese

of

St. L

ouis

Tra

inin

g, S

t. L

ouis

, MO

19

92-9

5

Cre

ativ

e Pl

ay, R

eadi

ng R

eadi

ness

SAMPLEFunctionalResume

page63

SHA

NT

EL

WH

ITE

Rou

te 2

, Box

888

Eve

ryto

wn,

Tex

as 3

3333

Tel:

444-

666-

7777

e-m

ail:

shan

telte

x@bo

l.com

OB

JEC

TIV

E:

Polic

e D

ispa

tche

r

EM

ER

GE

NC

YA

ND

LA

WE

NF

OR

CE

ME

NT

SKIL

LS

• Po

lice

aide

for

two

year

s

• M

embe

r of

rur

al v

olun

teer

fir

e de

part

men

t for

six

yea

rs

• C

ertif

ied

EM

T(E

mer

genc

y M

edic

al T

echn

icia

n) in

Tex

as

CL

ER

ICA

LSK

ILL

S

• E

xcel

lent

typi

ng s

kills

: 75

wor

ds p

er m

inut

e w

ith 1

00 p

erce

nt a

ccur

acy

• C

ompu

ter

liter

ate:

Wor

d Pe

rfec

t and

DB

ase

III

soft

war

e

• E

xten

sive

rec

ord-

keep

ing,

fili

ng, a

nd o

ffic

e m

achi

nery

exp

erie

nce

EX

PE

RIE

NC

E

Pol

ice

Aid

e (A

mer

iCor

ps M

embe

r)19

94-1

996

Jeff

erso

n C

ount

y, T

exas

Vol

unte

erF

iref

ight

er19

90-1

996

Smith

fiel

d To

wns

hip,

Jef

fers

on C

ount

y, T

exas

Co-

op S

tude

nt/O

ffic

e C

lerk

1992

-199

4

XY

Z O

il R

efin

ery,

Por

t Art

hur,

Texa

s

TR

AIN

ING

Pol

ice

Aid

e T

rain

ing:

80 h

ours

of

law

enf

orce

men

t tra

inin

g19

94

Jeff

erso

n C

ount

y, T

exas

Am

eriC

orps

Tra

inin

g:

Cro

ss-c

ultu

ral c

omm

unic

atio

n; c

omm

unity

pro

ject

dev

elop

men

t;19

94-9

6

time

man

agem

ent

Jeff

erso

n C

ount

y, T

exas

Job Search Strategies

As you carry out your search, you will discov-er many ways to find a job—classified ads,state and private employment agencies, directapplication, placement services, union hiringhalls, information from friends and familyabout openings where they work, electronicjob searching through the Internet. Don’t relyupon any one method—use as many methodsas you can.

Two search methods, networking and directtargeting of employers, are particularly effec-tive because they tap into the hidden jobmarket. The “hidden” job marketrefers to jobs that are vacant butnot advertised publicly. It isestimated that as many as 75percent of jobs are unadver-tised (J. Hoppin, editor.Workforce in Transition: ABlueprint for Adult CareerDevelopment and Job SearchTraining. Stillwater, Okla.: NOICCTraining Support Center, 1994, p. C-39). Worksmart in your job search. Spend the bulk ofyour time in the most effective job searchactivities. Use other methods as well, butspend less time on them.

Networking. A network is an informalgroup of people (and all the people they know)who can help a job seeker. As you look foremployment, try to expand your network togather in as many people as possible who cangive you information.

Who is in your network right now? Peoplewho influence your decisionmaking to some

degree are definitely members of your network.Family members, co-workers, former co-work-ers, fellow AmeriCorps members, current andpast supervisors and teachers, members of yourchurch, people who granted you informationinterviews, community group members, socialfriends, sports team members, parents of yourfriends and neighbors—all the people youknow are potential members of your network.

Use the same methods for networking thatyou use for information interviewing. Makecontact, ask for help, follow up on suggestions,stay in touch, and always write thank you

notes. Keep the network alive by con-stantly working it. Keep the people

in your network informedabout where you are in yourjob search and whether theirsuggestions have worked.Expand your network by get-

ting together with new peopleyou’ve met through people in

your existing network.

Think of this process as a spider’s web, witheach connection (each person in the network)leading you to several others who lead you tomore connections. The larger the web, thestronger it becomes, until you have a solid net-work of job information and leads. The work-sheet on page 68 may help you visualize thenetworking function. Begin by listing at leasttwenty people you know right now who will bewilling to help you with your job search.

Cold Contacts (or Direct Targeting ofEmployers). As you were conducting infor-mation interviews, you may have identifiedemployers that hire people who do the things

you hope to do. After you’ve clarified your jobsearch goals, contact those employers againand let them know you are interested in work-ing in their organizations. Even if there areno vacancies, ask for job interviews. Talkabout how you, your experience, and yourgoals fit into the organization. Stay in contact.You never know when a vacancy will occur.When one does, you want to be in the hiringperson’s mind.

Make a list of employers that you would liketo work for and that offer jobs like the one youare seeking.

Expand your list of desirable employers byworking your network. Ask people to help youidentify employers who offer the kind of workyou want to do. Follow up on each suggestion.And keep networking and targeting specificemployers even when it appears that you havesaturated the market. Remember that 70 percentof jobs are found through these two methods.

Job Search Correspondence. The best jobsearch methods use personal, one-on-one con-tacts. Sometimes, however, job seekers have touse conventional methods. One of these is thecover letter. (See sample letter on page 69.)

page 64

Places I Would Like to Work My Contact There

______________________________________ ______________________________

______________________________________ ______________________________

______________________________________ ______________________________

______________________________________ ______________________________

______________________________________ ______________________________

______________________________________ ______________________________

______________________________________ ______________________________

______________________________________ ______________________________

______________________________________ ______________________________

______________________________________ ______________________________

______________________________________ ______________________________

______________________________________ ______________________________

______________________________________ ______________________________

______________________________________ ______________________________

When applying for jobs without personal contact,cover letters are critically important—whetherthey go out through the mail or electronically.Such letters, which take the place of personalcontact, must make a compelling connectionbetween the enclosed resume and the job.

Your cover letter needs to make three points,concisely:

* why you’re writing;

* how your background matches what theemployer is seeking; and

* when you will contact the employereagain.

For additional tips on writing cover letters,you may want to refer to The Perfect CoverLetter, by Richard H. Beatty, and DynamicCover Letters, by Katherine Hansen.

Interviewing

At this stage, the purpose of an interview gen-erally is to get a job offer if you want it. At aminimum, however, you will be gaining prac-tice in interviewing.

Before the Interview. You need to do someimportant work before you ever set foot in thedoor for your inter-view. In fact, whatyou do before theinterview can be asimportant as whatyou say during the interview itself. Here aresome steps that will help you prepare yourself:

* Identify at least three of your strengths,and practice describing them.

* Think about the three most important ordifficult problems you’ve solved as anAmeriCorps member or at another worksetting. Employers like peoplewho can solve problems.Describe the actions youtook to solve the prob-lems and the results ofyour actions.

* Choose four or five ques-tions about the job ororganization to ask the in-terviewer. The questions youask are almost as important as those youanswer. Your questions indicate to theinterviewer understanding of, prepara-tion for, and interest in the job. Use the listof sample questions for prospectiveemployers on page 65 to develop questionsspecific to your situation.

* Anticipate questions you may be asked.Think about what an interviewer wouldwant to know; then put together aresponse and practice it. For example,what do you like best/least? Discuss aproblem you have had at a previous joband how you resolved it. What is your

greatest strength/weakness?

* Have a writtenlist that includes theemployer’s name and

location, the date and time of the inter-view, the interviewer’s name, and direc-

tions to the location. Make an initial “dryrun,” so you won’t get lost or underesti-mate the time it takes to get there. If youwill be driving, locate a parking lot near-by. (Plan to arrive about fifteen minutesearly. This gives you time to freshen up

and displays your punctuality.)

* Gather materials youhave written or produced thatare relevant to the job youare seeking. Take these withyou to the interview.

* Compile a reference list.Type it in a neat form, with your

name at the top (e.g., References forJohn Doe). Take this list with you, just incase you are asked for it.

* Try to find out who will be interviewingyou and how long the process will take.You want to minimize the number ofsurprises you encounter.

* Prepare a “cheat sheet” with two lists totake into the interview. The first listshould contain the questions you want toask. The second list should contain thefour or five most important things youwant the interviewer to know about yourqualifications for the job.

* Practice answering tough questions.Videotape yourself if you can. You will beamazed at how well you do with someparts of the interview and will also real-ize what you need to work on. Ask some-one you trust to review the videotapewith you.

* Plan how you want to look and what youwill wear for the interview. This task isnot a frivolous one. The image you pro-ject to prospective employers may be asimportant to the selection process as areyour skills, experience, and references.

The general rule is to be very clean and neat.You may need to get your hair cut, send yourdress or suit to the dry cleaners, or polish yourshoes. Your clothing, jewelry, make-up, andgeneral appearance should be downplayed andnot distracting. In some settings, for example,an open neckline, short skirt, or sleeveless shirtmay be unacceptable. Consider wearing sub-dued colors, and don’t wear flashy, noisy, orlarge jewelry. It’s a good idea to avoid fra-grances, whether cologne or aftershave.

If you have questions about how you shouldlook for an interview, ask employed acquain-tances about dress codes in their workplaces. Itis always better to be overdressed for an inter-view—wearing a suit and tie to an officewhere most men work in sport shirts, forexample—than it is to find yourself lookingvery informal in a formal environment.

During the Interview. Here are some guide-lines you may find useful to remember whenyou arrive at the interview:

* Shake the hand of the interviewer(s)firmly at the start and end of the inter-view.

* Make eye contact with all interviewers.

* Maintain a positive attitude, and speakwith enthusiasm.

you need to do someimportant work before youever set foot in the door

for your interview

page65

* If you don’t understand a question, askfor clarification.

* Discuss only job-related information.Don’t philosophize, tell stories, or bringup unrelated personal information.

* Respond to each question as fully as youcan. Keep responses to a minute or two,then offer to talk more about the topic ifthe interviewer wants you to.

* Make only positive or neutral remarksabout past employers.

* Be prepared to discuss your career plansfor the next five years.

* Before you leave, check your “cheatsheet.” Ask the questions you have pre-pared, if they haven’t been answered,and be sure that you have covered thebasic points you identified about yourqualifications.

* Ask what the next steps in the processwill be and how long they will take.

* If true, state your strong interest in the job.

* Thank the interviewer(s).

After the Interview. Even after your inter-view, you are not “home free.” There are stillsome tasks for you to carry out—tasks thatcan affect the ultimate success of your employ-ment goal.

* As soon as possible, review the inter-view. Make a written list of what youwant to work on for the next interview.On your list, note which questions gave

you problems and why. Also note whichquestions you answered easily and howyou answered them.

* Write the interviewer(s) a brief thankyou letter. Include an expression ofstrong interest in the job, if you have it.If you decide you don’t want tobe considered further forthe job, call the in-terviewer with thisinformation and thensend a thank you let-ter. (See page 71 for a sample thank you letter.)

* Once the process deadline (whichyou should have asked about during theinterview) has passed, follow up withthe employer. However, don’t call toooften; you don’t want them to find you anuisance. No response may mean thatyou were not selected, as many employ-ers find it difficult to give applicants thisinformation; it may also mean that theprocess is taking longer than expected.

(All of this interviewing advice is adaptedfrom “Interview Preparation Checklist forReturned Peace Corps Volunteers,” by MonaMelanson. The checklist is a handout fromReturned Volunteer Career Services, PeaceCorps, Washington, D.C. 20526.)

Interviewing Resources. Just as there areresources to help people with their resumes,there are also resources that focus on inter-views. For example, community career centersoften offer interview practice; some of them

videotape the practice interviews and thenprovide feedback to the person who’s practic-ing. If you have a career center in your area,check to see if it offers assistance in preparingfor interviews.

Your public library may lend videotapes oninterviewing to community mem-

bers. There are many excellentvideotapes available. Your

library will certainly offerwritten material on inter-view techniques; tworesources are 101 Great

Answers to the ToughestInterview Questions, by Ron Fry,

and Sweaty Palms: The Neglected Artof Being Interviewed, by H. Anthony Medley.

Decisionmaking andNegotiations

Review Part 5, “Making Decisions That Workfor You,” and use your decision matrix on page45 to help you decide whether to accept a joboffer. In addition, ask for the advice of peoplewho know you and your work well. Talkingover a decision is often a good way to see howthe decision feels and “fits” you.

If you believe you can influence the amountof the salary offered in the proposed job, youmay want to read Negotiating Your Salary:How To Make $1,000 A Minute, by JackChapman. Salary negotiation used to be anexpected part of private sector hiring and attimes was possible as well in the nonprofit andpublic sectors. These days, however, salarysetting is often less flexible. If that is true with

your job offer, you might try to negotiate forother benefits such as disability insurance ormore vacation time.

Barriers to Employment

When looking for a job, you may find yourefforts hindered from time to time. Not havingenough information is a major barrier, butthere are others that can slow you down as well.Read quickly through the list on the followingpage, and put a check next to barriers youbelieve exist for you. (For now, ignore the part ofthe chart that asks how you’ll overcome yourbarriers. It’s important to do the work quickly.)

MORE HELP AVAILABLE

There are scores of resources available to helpyou with your job search. See Appendix D,page 96, for a listing of job search resources.Community colleges, colleges and universities,government job services, and one-stop careercenters in your area may sponsor job searchworkshops. Check out the job search resourcesin your local libraries and local career centers.

page 66

page67

POSSIBLE BARRIER Now How I’ll Present? Overcome It

_____________________________________________________________

Focus: None, too narrow, or too broad

_____________________________________________________________

Discrimination

Type:

_____________________________________________________________

Stress

_____________________________________________________________

Poor time management

_____________________________________________________________

Hate or fear of networking

_____________________________________________________________

Shyness

_____________________________________________________________

Low self-esteem/ lack of confidence

_____________________________________________________________

POSSIBLE BARRIER Now How I’ll Present? Overcome It

_____________________________________________________________

Difficulty in requesting help

_____________________________________________________________

Lack of desire for a job

_____________________________________________________________

Competing demands

(e.g., family, school)

_____________________________________________________________

No experience with job searching

Now look carefully at the possible barriers to employment you identified. Think about howyou’ll deal with these barriers; then jot down how you plan to overcome them. The idea behindthis list is to anticipate roadblocks you may face in your job search. If you realize that some prob-lems will arise, you remove the element of surprise and can begin to consider ways of coping.

NETWORKINGWORKSHEET

Persons Contact Who Data & Additional to Contact Information Referred Results Contacts

Me? of Gained Contact

______________________________________________________________

SAMPLE ENTRY

Shirley Freeman Red Cross, James 7/2/97 Info 1. John Coe, 51 N. High St., Rodriguez, Interview Dir. of Dev., # 700 Catholic -see notes United Way, Columbus, Social 614-555-6666OH 43215 Services 7/2/97 Sent 614-555-1212 Thank you letter 2. Kathy

Kaminski, Fundraiser, Am. Environmental Congress, 614-555-8888

Persons Contact Who Data & Additional to Contact Information Referred Results Contacts and Why Me? of Gained

Contact______________________________________________________________

page 68

SAMPLECover Letter

Your Street AddressYour City, State, Zip Code

Today’s Date

Name of Manager or Human Resources DirectorJob Title of That PersonOrganization’s NameStreet Address or Post Office BoxCity, State, Zip Code

Dear Mr./Ms. ________________________________,

I am writing to apply for the position of “X” that you advertised in the Sunday “Good Jobs R-Us” news-paper. Having four years of experience as an “X,” I think I may be a good match for your requirements.

Enclosed is a copy of my resume for your review. As you will see, my background includes “a,b, and c” (skills or experiences asked for in the ad). My strengths are in the “x, y, and z” areasyou need (these are the “preferred” or “desired” items listed in their ad).

Thank you for your consideration. I look forward to being able to meet with you so that I mayexplain how I think I could make a contribution to “Organization’s Name” as an “X”. I will callnext week to arrange a time to meet with you.

Sincerely,

Your NameYour Telephone Number

enclosure

Source: Career Resource Manual for Returning Peace Corps Volunteers. Washington, D.C.: Peace Corps Office of Returned Volunteer Career Services, 1995.

Action Verbs for Effective Resumes

Adapted from Job Transition Manual. Deerfield Ill.: Baxter Healthcare Corporation Institute forTraining and Development, 1994.

page69

Aachievedadapted addressedadjustedadministeredarrangedassembledassessed

needs ofassigned authored

Bbuiltbudgeted

Ccalculatedchangedcheckedcollaboratedcommuni-

catedcomparedcompletedconceivedconductedcoordinatedcreated

Ddecideddefineddelegateddemonstrateddesigneddetermineddevelopeddirecteddrafted

Eeliminatedensuredenteredestablishedevaluatedexaminedexpandedexpedited

Ffiledfinalizedfixed

Ggeneratedguided

Hhandledheaded

helped hired

Iidentifiedimplementedimprovedincreasedinformedinitiatedinstructedinterpretedintroduced

Jjudgedjustified

Kkept

Llaunchedledlocated

Mmaintainedmanagedmasteredmonitored

Nnotednegotiatednominated

Oobservedobtainedorganizedoriginated

Pparticipatedperfectedperformedpersuadedpilotedpinpointedplannedpreparedpresentedpreventedproducedpromotedproposedprovedprovidedpurchased

Qquestioned

Rrecognizedrecommend-

edrecordedreducedre-evaluatedreferredrefinedregulatedreportedrepresentedreorganizedresearchedresolvedrespondedrestoredretrievedrevampedreviewedrevised

Ssavedscheduledscreenedselectedset upsimplifiedsolidifiedsolvedspearheaded

spokestreamlinedstrengthenedstructuredsupervisedsuppliedsupported

Ttrainedtransferredtransformedtranslatedtreated

Uupdatedupgradedused

Vvalidatedverified

Wwonwrote

Sample Questions for Prospective Employers

Why is this position open?

What are some of the objectives you would like accomplished in this job?

What kind of support does this position receive in terms of people, finances, etc.?

What are some of the more difficult problems that one would have to face in this position?

How do you think these could be handled best?

What freedom would I have in determining my work objectives, deadlines, and methods ofmeasurement?

Where could a person go who is successful in this position and within what time frame?

In what ways has this agency/organization been most successful in terms of products or ser-vices over the years, particularly more recently?

What significant changes do you foresee in the near future?

How would you describe your management style?

What do you see as my strengths, shortcomings, and chances for this position?

Source: You Can Do It! Deerfield, Ill.: Baxter Healthcare Corporation Institute for Training andDevelopment, 1990.

1492 Columbus CircleFt. Worth, Texas 77542

May 5, 1997

Mr. Scott Dobbs, PresidentFood for the World, Inc.6160 Rice AvenueDallas, Texas 76530

Dear Mr. Dobbs,

Jan Winkle was right when she said you would be most helpful in advising me on a career innutrition.

I appreciate your taking time from a busy schedule to meet with me. Your advice was most help-ful, and I have incorporated your suggestions into my resume. I will send you a copy next week.

Again, thank you so much for your assistance. As you suggested, I will contact Mr. RobertRussell next week regarding career options.

Sincerely,

Camille Marks

Source: Career Resources Manual for Returning Peace Corps Volunteers. Washington, D.C.: Peace Corps Office of Returned Volunteer Career Services, 1995.

page 70

SAMPLEThank you letter—

informational Interview

SAMPLEThank you letter—

employment interview1066 Hastings Court

Syracuse, New York 72205November 16, 1996

Dr. Marvene JohnsonPersonnel DepartmentMyrtle Corporation17 Hatfield DriveSyracuse, New York 12291

Dear Dr. Johnson,

Thank you for the opportunity to interview with you yesterday for the Management Traineeposition. I enjoyed meeting you and learning about Myrtle Corporation. I was especiallyimpressed with your progressive stance regarding personnel issues.

Your organization appears to be moving in a direction that parallels my interest and careergoals. The interview confirmed my initial positive impressions of Myrtle Corporation, and I wantto reiterate my strong interest in working for you. My experience in managing a small-businesscooperative, plus my training in communication, will enable me to progress steadily through yourtraining program and become a productive member of your management team.

Again, thank you for your consideration. If you need any additional information from me,please feel free to call.

Sincerely,

James Harris

Source: Career Resources Manual for Returning Peace Corps Volunteers. Washington, D.C.: Peace Corps Office of Returned Volunteer Career Services, 1995.

page71

Phase Five: Readjustment orNew Transition

Sometimes job seekers get stuck in a searchand need to readjust their strategies or beginthe process again, both of which can be dis-heartening. If this happens to you, it maymean that you need to put more attention intothe self-assessment and research phases of thejob search process. Do them again if you didn’tspend much time on those two phases. Afterdoing so, if you remain stuck, talk to a profes-sional career counselor, who may be able tohelp you get “unstuck” more quickly than youcan on your own.

After a successful job search, you may enjoyyour new job for quite a while. Eventually,however, most people decide to look for anotherjob either within or outside the organizations inwhich they currently work. They begin new jobsearches and enter new transitions.

Sometimes, forces beyond their personal con-trol thrust job-holders—even those contentwith their jobs—into another job search. Forexample, one spouse is transferred to anothercity, but both want the family to live in oneplace. Or someone’s job is eliminated because ofbudget cuts or a merger. Such forces, which arepretty much beyond their control, can put peo-ple back into the job search process.

QUESTIONS TO ADDRESS FOR ANUNSUCCESSFUL JOB SEARCH:

* What steps did you skip or not pay atten-tion to?

* What is keeping you from being success-ful as a job seeker?

* Who can help you figure out what wentwrong and how to correct it?

QUESTIONS TO ADDRESS FOR ANEW TRANSITION

* How do you feel about this new transition?

* What can you do to get control of this sit-uation (if the transition was imposed,not chosen)?

* What is different from your previous jobsearch? (For example, you may havedeveloped some new skills that you wantto use in your next job.)

* What is the same as in your previous jobsearch? (For example, your values orpriorities may not have changed.)

* What was satisfying and not satisfyingat your most recent job?

TASK TO COMPLETE:

* Begin the self-directed job search cycleall over again!

Being Smart at Your New Job

If you find yourself at phase six, you have ful-filled your goal of finding employment. Now,having found it, you are ready to think aboutmaking your new job a success.


* What do you want to get out of your newjob?

* What steps can you take to be sure yournew job is a success?

* How can you make the best of opportu-nities that exist at your new workplace?

TASKS TO COMPLETE:

* Understand and operate successfullywithin the culture of the new workplace.

* Understand and make use of learningand training opportunities.

* Find and benefit from a mentor.

* Be realistic about your aspirations.

* Deal with any conflicts at the new work-place.

* Enjoy the new workplace.

NEW-JOB “JITTERS”

If you have enjoyed your AmeriCorps experi-ence, you may find it hard to leave. This hasbeen a setting in which you’ve been successful,challenged, and supported, and in whichyou’ve probably had fun. Starting all overagain may have limited appeal, to say theleast. Moreover, AmeriCorps members oftenhave earned some status in their communities.Giving that up to become a new person inanother organization can be hard.

As anyone who has started a new job knows,entering a new and unknown workplace can betough. New responsibilities, new co-workers, anew supervisor—all these can be daunting atfirst. Combining a great deal of challenge and lit-tle perceived support (it may be there but may gounrecognized), a new job can be the source ofconsiderable anxiety for a while.

UNREALISTIC EXPECTATIONS

As you begin a new job, try to guard againstunrealistic expectations. Sometimes, newemployees assume that their skills and knowl-edge qualify them for work beyond their capa-bilities and experience. In other words, theirreach is somewhat beyond their immediategrasp. Be realistic about what you offer, andwork from there.

No magic strategies exist to move you fromentry-level clerk to president of an organiza-tion in two years. However, it’s true that hardwork, continual learning and upgrading ofskills, and a good attitude can help you moveup. But moving up is a mostly gradual processin today’s market. Creating a life with eco-nomic benefits—a home, car, education foryour children, etc.—is a difficult task, andone that doesn’t happen overnight or without agreat deal of commitment and hard work.

Try to be realistic. If you are not, you will bedisappointed and probably unsuccessful in theworkplace. Take one step at a time.

page 72

SKILLS YOU WILL NEED

According to a U.S. Department of Labor study,the attributes adults need if they are to be suc-cessful at work fall into three areas—basicskills, thinking skills, and personal qualities(Report of the Secretary’s Commission onAchieving Necessary Skills. What Work Requiresof Schools. U.S. Department of Labor, 1991).

Basic Skills

* Reading

* Writing

* Listening

* Speaking

* Arithmetic and mathematics

Thinking Skills

* Creative thinking

* Decisionmaking

* Problemsolving

* Ability to learn

* Reasoning

Personal Qualities

* Responsibility

* Self-esteem

* Sociability

* Self-management

* Integrity/Honesty

A second study summarized four basic areasthat employers consider when evaluating jobperformance (Jane Goodman and JudithHoppin, cited in J. Hoppin and H. Splete, (Eds.),Curriculum for Career Development Facilitators,Rochester, Mich.: Oakland University, 1996, pp. 4-40).

Dependability/Reliability. Employers wantemployees to come to work as scheduled unless astrong, legitimate explanation is given. Further,employees must have the ability to followthrough on a task without continual supervision.

Punctuality. To be successful, employeesmust report to work on time and ready to work.This expectation applies as well to meetings,breaks, and lunch times.

Quality of Work. Company and job survivalboth depend upon employee ability to producea product or service of quality.

Quantity of Work. Productivity is also animportant element of success on the job.

A third study of employer expectations identi-fied these basic skills as critical to job perfor-mance (“Workplace Basics.” American Societyfor Training and Development, 1988):

* Knowing how to learn

* Reading, writing, and computation

* Listening and oral communication

* Adaptability

* Personal management (ability to set goals,motivate yourself, and build self-esteem)

* Group effectiveness

* Influence (understanding the organiza-

tion and informal networks, establish-ing influence so as to contribute ideas)

In reviewing these lists of skills, you mayfind that you’ve developed or enhanced manyof them during your AmeriCorps service and

training. Answer the following questions andshare the second list with your supervisorand/or mentor at your new workplace as soonas you feel ready to do so. He or she will be ableto help you identify ways to develop and/orenhance the skills you’ll need to be successfulat your new workplace.

What skills and qualities have you developed and used so far?

_______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

What skills and qualities do you need to work on in your new job?

_______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

page73

GETTING POSITIVE EXPOSUREAT YOUR NEW WORKPLACE

While you may have had a lot of flexibility andautonomy during your AmeriCorps service,you may find your new employer keeping atight rein on you as a new employee. Don’tdespair. Such circumstances are common forthe first few months until new employeesprove themselves. There are several ways youcan work to become accepted, to take onresponsibility, and to become a valued memberof your new workplace quickly.

Use the self-management skills you’velearned throughout your life. Be friendly, meetdeadlines, take initiative, pull your weight, gothe extra mile, and be enthusiastic.

Learn the organizational culture and workwithin it. During your AmeriCorps service,you have experienced training and firsthandexposure to many cultures. And you havelearned that diversity means more than raceor ethnicity or regional differences; diversity isalso evident in the cultures of organizations.

How would you describe the culture of yourworkplace? How do people dress, interact withone another, communicate, and treat cus-tomers and clients? Do things seem formal orinformal? How do people in the organizationoperate? Don’t always trust first impressions;it’s safer to observe and ask questions. Learnwhat works and what does not. As you begin togain confidence, use the accepted ways of pre-senting and/or communicating informationand of leading.

(Note: As you begin to learn the culture ofyour new workplace, you may discover certain

norms that make you uncomfortable. Thiscould mean that your personal values conflictwith those of the organization; if this is thecase, you may find it difficult to work there. Forlong-term satisfaction, it is important to find anorganization with values similar to yours.)

Volunteer for projects. Treat your newworkplace as a new community, because it is.Become active within this new community. Ifyou move outside your sphere of work, you willbecome visible and a part of the informal net-work more quickly. Making and keeping com-mitments is always a good work strategy.

Demonstrate a team player attitude. In theworkplaces of the future, team players withmany skills will be critical. Work cooperative-ly with others. Show your spirit, commitment,and versatility.

Be willing and eager to learn new skillsand experience different situations. Althoughyour AmeriCorps service has exposed youto many training opportunities, youmay find such opportunities farless common (and less formal,as well) in your next work-place. In some organiza-tions, the training is infor-mal and has to be sought out.For example, rather thanattending a formal training ses-sion on the computer system at yournew workplace, you may have to acquireknowledge and skills on your own throughtrial and error and/or by asking co-workers.Stay on the lookout for ways to increase andimprove your skills.

Find and learn from a mentor. A mentor is“any person with useful experience, knowledge,skills or wisdom” who “offers advice, informa-tion, guidance, support or intervention to anoth-er for that individual’s personal and profession-al development” (Heiser, L., Final Proposal for aCareer Information and Mentoring Network,Baltimore, Md.: The Johns Hopkins UniversityCareer Management Program, 1997, p. 4). Youmay have had one or more mentors as anAmeriCorps mem-ber. Now it is time tofind another at yournew worksite. Amentor can orientyou and assist you with career developmentopportunities and ongoing professional develop-ment needs (p. 7). Although some workplaceshave formal mentoring programs, most do not.After you’ve been on the job for a while, youmay identify someone who can serve as anadviser, supporter, and coach for you within

the organization. Ask that person for help. Be clear about your

expectations.

A mentor can help you betterunderstand the way theorganization functions, give

you a history of past prac-tices, encourage your partici-

pation in new projects, introduceyou to influential people in the organi-

zation, and generally guide you along yourway in the new workplace.

Learn from your mistakes. Accept the factthat you will mess up occasionally. Employeeswho don’t make mistakes may never try new

ideas. However, try not to make the same mis-take more than once.

Resolve conflicts maturely and with goodwill. Conflicts are inevitable at the workplace.When they arise, use the conflict mediationskills you’ve learned through yourAmeriCorps service. Don’t let conflicts escalateuntil they are too big to handle.

Use your sense of humor to your best advan-tage. A good senseof humor will takeyou a long way inthe world of work. Itcan reduce con-

flicts, make the workplace more enjoyable, andhelp you to make friends and allies.

Exercise the essential ingredients of inno-vative, successful leadership (described byBennis and Namus in Leadership: Strategiesfor Taking Charge):

* a clear sense of purpose;

* staying on track through tenacity andcommitment; and

* viewing mistakes and setbacks as learn-ing opportunities.

Work smart. In today’s workplace, every-one has too much to do. Your best bet is to setpriorities for yourself. Spend time on the mostimportant projects first, and then get to theothers as you can. Your priorities may be dif-ferent from those of your supervisor. Resolvethat difference together.

be friendly, meet deadlines, take initiative,

and be enthusiatic

page 74

Option:Starting YourOwn Community-BasedOrganizationor BusinessThis section is designed to introduce you to thegeneral attributes needed for entrepreneurialpursuits and to some sources of information. Itis a beginning for the budding entrepreneur,not a comprehensive approach to the topics.

Do you want to be your own boss? Do youwant to contribute further to the community inwhich you live or serve? Do you have a greatidea for a new product or service, an improvedversion of an existing product or service, or away to capitalize on a community’s assetswhile working to solve its problems? Do youlike managing yourown time and mak-ing decisions andaccepting their con-sequences—posi-tive or negative? Do other people sometimesask you to provide a product or service or newideas or creative solutions to problems? Areyou willing to work harder and longer thanyou ever have before? Can you imagine hav-ing the creativity, pragmatism, perseverance,commitment, and independence needed to be asuccessful entrepreneur or community organi-zation founder?

As an AmeriCorps member, you may have hada taste of the entrepreneurial spirit within a com-munity-based organization as you’ve indepen-dently carved out a niche in your community;decided what needed to be done; considered andimplemented creative options to deal with issues;located resources and allocated them as careful-ly as possible; raised money; found experts andevaluated their direction/advice; created andkept to a budget; managed your own time; andmade your own decisions. If you’ve enjoyed thoseaspects of your AmeriCorps service, you mightwant to think about starting your own commu-nity-based organization or business.

If you do decide to start your own business,you’ll be in good company. According to RichardBolles, author of What Color is Your Parachute?,more than 10 million Americans (one in everytwelve workers) work in their own businesses.(Richard Bolles. What Color is Your Parachute?Berkeley, Calif.: Ten Speed Press, 1995.) Women,who are starting businesses at twice the rate ofmen, make up over 30 percent of all small busi-ness owners. From 1989 to 1991, the fastest

growing industriesfor U.S. small busi-ness were computers,software, and com-puter-related ser-

vices; health care; oil and gas exploration; publicgolf courses; and business consulting (from theSmall Business Administration and the CensusBureau, cited in The Washington Post in 1995).

Does This Sound Like You?

If there is such a thing as an “entrepreneurialpersonality,” do you have one? Successful new

business owners and founders of community-based organizations tend to be alike. Followingare descriptions of those who tend to be success-ful and some advice that applies to both commu-nity-based organization and business start-ups.

* Successful founders of community-basedorganizations and new businesses gowith what they know to be a certain mar-ket, asset or need, and learn what theyneed to know to be successful. Theyknow how to focus. This means havingan idea or product or a way to deal withan issue that is simultaneously realisticand creative. It also has to be needed andwanted by large numbers of peopleand/or organizations. Having a greatidea for a new business isn’t enough. Youhave to be able to sell it. And getting“buy-ins” from the community at thegrassroots level, from informal and for-mal leaders, is critically important witha community-based organization, as youhave learned through your AmeriCorpsservice. Listen carefully to what commu-nity members say. It is tough to find oth-ers who share your passion. Experts sug-gest that clarity about what needs to bedone and support based on relationshipswith people and other organizations thathave resources you need—such asmoney, expertise, and time—are critical.Further, who will be your “competition?”Sometimes with a community-basedorganization, there is no need to create anew organization. You can join or piggy-back upon an existing one. Location isalso critical for both nonprofits and busi-nesses. For example, if a youth service

organization is not located near a schooland is far away from public transporta-tion, it will probably not be used.

* Successful founders of community-based organizations and new businessesmeticulously prepare for, and put theirwhole hearts and all their energy into,their work. They also are able to achievesome balance in their lives. As impor-tant as running the new organization orbusiness is planning for it and havingthe commitment to sustain yourself dur-ing the hard times. A clear, detailedbusiness plan is essential. Make veryclear commitments to very specifictasks. There are many books and otherresources available on the elements of abusiness plan such as financing, mar-keting strategies, distribution tech-niques, and all the other elementsrequired to make the business success-ful. A nonprofit or business start-up isnot a good place for those who want towork only forty hours a week. Neworganizations and businesses require alot of energy and, sometimes, blind faith.Expect craziness and disappointment attimes. It can be emotionally tough andvery hard to do, but also very reward-ing. Try to balance an all-out commit-ment to a new nonprofit or business withtime for yourself, family, and friends.Have some fun once in a while.

* Successful founders of community-basedorganizations and new businesses arewilling to take risks. These risks are morethan financial. Self-esteem, time withfamily and friends, psychological well-

if you do decide to startyour own business, you’ll

be in good company

page75

being, time for leisure activities, and qual-ity of life may also suffer. With a new orga-nization or business there are no guaran-tees—failure is always a possibility.

Examine your motives for starting a commu-nity-based organization or business, and iden-

tify what you expect to gain from the adventure.There are no right or wrong expectations; justbe honest with yourself. List below the type oforganization you dream about, why you want tostart it, and what you expect to get out of it. Areyou being both realistic and creative?

What You Need To Learn

Experts agree that starting a for-profit or non-profit enterprise requires similar knowledge.Whether you are considering a start-up nonprof-it or business, there are several areas of expertiseyou need to have,acquire, or get fromothers with whom youare planning:

* feasibility studies/community and/ormarket assessments

* motivation and self-esteem

* legal issues

* business promotion

* networking

* funding sources

* assessing personal financial strength

* identifying interests and skills

* assessing self-employment potential

* conducting market/community needsand assets surveys

* planning marketing strategies

* maintaining business records

* managing customer credit (for businesses)

* setting goals

* creating business plans, including identify-ing the people needed to make the venturea reality and determining the financialinvestment needed to launch and main-tain the business through its first year

Sources of Assistance

If you are considering and/or preparing for astart-up, following are several sources of assis-tance you can call upon. Whether your organi-zation will be for-profit or nonprofit, take

advantage of what isavailable to you.

Although some sourcesof information are

specific to nonprofit or for-profit enterprises,prospective entrepreneurs should consult allsources for assistance.

GOVERNMENT ORGANIZATIONSFOR BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT

Local vocational schools, community colleges,economic development offices, and SmallBusiness Administration centers offer variouskinds of training for the prospective entrepreneur.

The Small Business Administration (SBA),an agency of the federal government, serves asan advocate for small business in the UnitedStates. The agency funds fifty-five SmallBusiness Development Centers (SBDCs) and750 service locations across the country to edu-cate current and prospective business owners.Those centers, often affiliated with universities,state and local governments, and private busi-nesses, offer workshops and/or classes.

To get information on SBA services and/or tolocate your local SBDC, call SBA’s “answer desk”at 1-800-8-ASK-SBA, or retrieve informationon-line at: www.sba.gov

there are no right orwrong expectations; just be honest with yourself

page 76

TYPE OF ORGANIZATION/BUSINESS

_____________________________________________________________

Motivations

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

Expected Gains

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

SCORE (SERVICE CORPS OFRETIRED EXECUTIVES)

SCORE is a national network of former busi-ness people with an average experience of thir-ty-five years. Available through the SBA, mem-bers offer counseling services to prospectiveand current business owners without charge.

OTHER ORGANIZATIONS

Businesses for Social Responsibility609 Mission Street, 2nd FloorSan Francisco, CA 94105-3506(415) 537-0888www.bsr.orgBSR is a membership organization for compa-nies of all sizes and sectors. Its mission is tohelp its member companies achieve long-termcommercial success by implementing policiesand practices that honor high ethical stan-dards. Eleven regions support members atlocal levels.

Compass Point Nonprofit Services706 Mission Street, Fifth FloorSan Francisco, CA 94103(415) 541-9000www.compasspoint.orgCompass Point Nonprofit Services is thenational parent organization for thirteen affili-ate support centers nationwide. The affiliatesare in Ann Arbor, Atlanta, Boston, Chicago,New York, San Diego, Providence, SanFrancisco, Orlando, Tulsa, Oklahoma City,Santa Barbara, and Washington, D.C. Theyprovide professional development seminars innonprofit management and technology as well

as consulting services and print relevantmaterials.

Co-op America1612 K Street, NW, Suite 600Washington, DC 20006(800) 58-GREEN(202) 872-5307coopamerica.orgCo-op America is a national nonprofit organi-zation that provides economic strategies, orga-nizational power, and practical tools for busi-nesses and individuals to address social andenvironmental problems. It seeks to educateand empower U.S. citizens and businesses tomake significant improvements through theeconomic system.

Echoing Green Foundation198 Madison Avenue, 8th FloorNew York, NY 10016(212) 689-1165e-mail: [email protected]

Echoing Green is a nonprofit foundation thatapplies a venture capital approach to philan-thropy. Through its fellowships, the foundationprovides seed money and technical support tosocial entrepreneurs starting innovative pub-lic service organizations and projects that seekto catalyze positive social change. Individualsmust apply through participating under-graduate or graduate programs or community-based organizations. Graduates of a limitednumber of schools are eligible to apply forfunding. Check the website for informationabout which schools’ graduates are eligible.

Foundation Center79 Fifth AvenueNew York, NY 10003-3076(212) 620-4230www.fdncenter.orgThe Foundation Center provides seminars andcomprehensive library/resources, includingnumerous in-house publications, about fund-raising, nonprofit management and potentialsources of funding. The Foundation Center inWashington, D.C., also provides comprehensiveservices at 1001 Connecticut Avenue, N.W., Suite938, phone (202) 331-1400. Centers in SanFrancisco, Cleveland, and Atlanta offer regionalinformation. Additionally, major libraries acrossthe nation include Foundation Center collections.Call the New York or Washington, D.C., office tofind the library resource collection nearest you.

National Center for Nonprofit Law2001 S Street, N.W., Suite 410Washington, D.C. 20009-1125(202) 462-1000National Center for Nonprofit Law providesinformation, education and documents tolawyers, trustees, volunteers and staff on thelegal, financial and organizational issues fac-ing nonprofit institutions. This organizationalso operates a clearinghouse of legal docu-ments successfully used by members for othermembers, conducts educational seminars, andpublishes briefing papers in plain language.

National Council of Nonprofit Associations1001 Connecticut Avenue, N.W., Suite 900Washington, D.C. 20036(202) 833-5740www.ncna.org

The affiliates of this group offer assistance topersons or groups in thirty states. They knowthe general requirements of nonprofit incor-poration and also provide jurisdiction-specificinformation. Some affiliates offer workshopsand management support to nonprofit organ-izations. For example, the Minnesota Councilof Non-Profits has a web page on how to starta nonprofit in Minnesota: www.mncn.org

National Foundation for TeachingEntrepreneurship120 Wall Street, 29th FloorNew York, NY 10005(212) 223-3333www.nfte.comNFTE (pronounced “nifty”) is an internationalnonprofit organization that introduces at-riskteens from inner cities and other low-incomecommunities to the world of business andentrepreneurship by teaching them how todevelop and operate their own legitimate smallbusinesses through in-school, after-school, andcamp experiences. To date, about 10,000 stu-dents have participated in the NFTE program.

Net Impact660 Market Street, Suite 210San Francisco, CA 94104(415) 984-3300www.netimpact.orgThis is a professional network of emergingbusiness leaders committed to using the powerof business to create a better world. The web-site includes a Career Services Center formembers and links to contacts at over 40 cam-puses nationwide.

page77

Social Venture NetworkP.O. Box 29221San Francisco, CA 94129-0221(415) 561-6501www.svn.orgThe Social Venture Network advances themovement for responsible business, includingsupport of numerous member efforts to developand evolve business and social ventures. TheSocial Venture Network provides interactiveopportunities for entrepreneurs to focus onproblems faced by CEOs who are attempting torun socially responsible businesses.

(Amherst H.) Wilder Foundation919 Lafond AvenueSt. Paul, MN 551041-800-274-6024Through its publishing center, the WilderFoundation provides information individualsmight be able to use in the programmingand/or management of their own social wel-fare organization. The foundation focuses onbest practices and oriented to results.

Youth Service America1101 15th Street, N.W., Suite 200Washington, D.C. 20005(202) 296-2992e-mail: [email protected] Service America sponsors communityentrepreneurs through the Fund for SocialEntrepreneurs. It also has a resource guide,Answer the Call, that profiles more than fiftyyouth service organizations and eightynational and community organizations.

BUSINESS OWNERS ANDFOUNDERS/DIRECTORS OFCOMMUNITY-BASEDORGANIZATIONS

An excellent source of information are peoplein your own community who are already oper-ating businesses or have started businesses ornonprofits themselves. They have experiencedthe thrills and challenges of the first year,know the market for their product/servicewell; they may be familiar with fundingsources and similar ventures; they probablyhave additional sources of information andassistance; and they most likely will be willingto offer advice and encouragement to aprospective member of the community. Manybusiness owners and nonprofit directors areaffiliated with professional groups suchas the Chamber of Commerce or agroup of nonprofit directors,which you might want to joinor at least meet its members.Be prepared to ask hardquestions. Be sure to askwhat went well for them andwhat didn’t. Learn from theirmistakes.

Don’t assume that only people in a non-profit or business similar to the type you areconsidering will be helpful. Talk with as manypeople as you can to get their advice.

MORE HELP AVAILABLE

There are numerous publications that canhelp you as you start your nonprofit or busi-ness. Start with the publications listed in thissection and your local library. Also take

advantage of written or electronic assistancethrough your state, regional, local, and/or citygovernment offices of economic development.Other resources are listed in the section calledStarting a Community-Based Organization onpage 75 and in Appendix D, page 96.

Option:

DoingNothing?This section is for people who are making noplans for their lives after AmeriCorps. This is

a position that AmeriCorps memberssometimes find themselves in;

perhaps they lack the energy topursue their next steps imme-diately, maybe they needmore information, or maybethe cause is something else

entirely. If this describes you,take a few minutes to review the

following material.

It might be helpful to look at some of the rea-sons AmeriCorps members find themselvesdoing nothing. Here are seven of the most com-mon:

* If they lack experience with transitions,AmeriCorps members may be intimidat-ed by the planning and work needed tochange.

* Members who lack support from family

and friends for their next steps mayhave too little confidence to move on.People need a lot of support duringchange; without it, the process becomesmuch harder.

* AmeriCorps members who had a greatservice experience may be sad aboutleaving and unable to think about nextsteps.

* Those who had a bad service experiencemay be avoiding the next step, fearingthat another bad experience will follow.

* Members may have worked so hard thatthey cannot raise the energy and spiritneeded to gather information and makedecisions about next steps.

* Some members, believing themselves tohave few skills, may feel hopeless abouttheir prospects after AmeriCorps.

* AmeriCorps members may fear thatwhat they want for the future and whatthey can actually achieve are very farapart. These members may be afraid offailing, have unrealistic expectations, orlack confidence in their ability to succeed.

Whatever their reasons, some AmeriCorpsmembers will find themselves doing nothingfor a while after their service ends. The impor-tant thing to remember is that doing nothing isa choice, just as seeking employment, startinga business, or going back to school are choic-es. Although doing nothing may be more pas-sive than active, it is a choice nonetheless.

page 78

Getting Out of the Rut

If any of this section relates to you, think aboutwhat might account for your lack of actiontoward a next step. To get some help with this,ask your AmeriCorps colleagues—othermembers, the AmeriCorps leader, supervisors,your program leader—as well as family andfriends. (People you trust and who know youwell have your best interests at heart.) Theywill probably be candid and have some prettygood ideas about why you’re “stuck” whereyou are.

Next, determine whether you want to changeyour behavior. Is there something you want topursue but can’t, for some reason? Or are youcontent to continue doing nothing?

If you decide you really want to change yourbehavior, ask for help. In some cases, a gentlenudge in the right direction might get yougoing. Or maybe more attention, training, orsupport is needed. Some members who arecontent doing nothing may need time to“debrief” from or to mourn the loss of theAmeriCorps experience. Others may feel pow-erless and unable to move on. They may needto seek career and/or personal counseling.

Sometimes “helpers” find that it is hard tohelp themselves. AmeriCorps members whoare in this position might try to step back andview themselves as they would a communitymember who needs help. What would you dofor someone in a position like yours? Figureout your response to that question, and thenfollow your own advice.

If you are doing nothing and are unhappywith that fact and unable to get out of your rut,

be as good to yourself as you can. Exercise, eatand sleep well, spend time with people you loveand enjoy, volunteer for something. Do what-ever makes you feel good about yourself.

Finally, remember that there are no easyanswers to getting out of a rut. However, thereare two things you can do while you find yourway—look for the help you need (or ask othersto do it for you) and give yourself a break. Inother words, be as good to yourself as you can.

page79

I n moving through this workbook,you have begun to explore the tran-sition from AmeriCorps service toyour next step. Perhaps you’re feel-

ing a bit more clear about what your next step,or steps, might be—getting more education,seeking employment, starting your own busi-ness or community-based organization, re-enrolling for another year of AmeriCorps,doing nothing, or some combination of these.

Remember that any transition begins withan ending, followed by a time of uncertainty,and ending with a new beginning. Try not tofear the period of uncertainty. Instead, use it toyour best advantage by accepting it and work-ing through it.

No matter what you eventually decide to donext, the self-assessment portion of the work-book can be helpful to you now. If you haven’tworked through that section of Part 5, pleasedo so before you make any decisions of a seri-

ous nature. Take stock of who you really areand what you have to offer.

Although you may be tempted to coastthrough decisionmaking about your next step,try to face the task head on. If you get stuck,ask those around you to help you get unstuck.Think long and hard about where you’reheading with your life. Without such reflec-tion, you may find yourself spinning yourwheels or making impulsive choices that don’twork for you. Take this opportunity to investi-gate who you are, where you are, and whereyou want to go.

You have seen that this workbook functionsrather like a menu, allowing you to pick andchoose the sections you wish to focus on. Don’tmove on without reading “AmeriCorps andYou” and “Continuing to Serve,” as those sec-tions apply to all AmeriCorps members. Youmay even find yourself referring to sectionsfrom time to time as your future unfolds. Andperhaps, at a later point, you will wantto address other sections of theworkbook that seem lessimportant to you now.

Above all, be good to your-self by taking full advantageof opportunities to learn andserve at your next stop in life.Learning and serving are cor-nerstones of a satisfying life.

any transition begins withan ending, followed by a timeof uncertainty, and ending

with a new beginning

7Moving on

page 80

page81

E ducation awards are provided froma special account in the UnitedStates Treasury called the NationalService Trust. This Trust is man-

aged by the Corporation for National andCommunity Service. Education awards aresubject to income taxes in the year they areused.

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU COMPLETE YOUR SERVICE?

When you complete your term of AmeriCorpsservice, the director of your project (or forAmeriCorps*VISTA members, the CorporationState Office) will notify the Trust that you havesuccessfully completed service. TheCorporation will send you a Voucher andPayment Request form and instructions forcompleting the voucher.

You may then present the voucher to yourloan holder or the school you plan to attend.

The loan holder or school will complete a por-tion of the voucher and send it to theCorporation for payment. Payments will bemade directly to the loan holder or school, notto you. The Corporation will notify you that apayment has been made and send you a newvoucher showing any balance in your Trustaccount.

You should receive your voucher from theCorporation within 14 days of the Trust receiv-ing notification from your project that youhave completed your term of service. Thevoucher will be sent to the address that youfurnish on your end-of-term paperwork. It isimportant that you keep the National ServiceTrust informed of any changes to that addressduring the seven years you are eligible to usethe award.

ABOUT YOUR EDUCATION AWARD

You can divide the amount of your educationaward and use it any way you want, as long asit is used for authorized expenditures. Youcould, for example, apply a portion of it toexisting qualified student loans and save theremainder to pay for authorized college costs afew years down the road. The education awardmust be used within seven years of the com-pletion of your service. You may apply for anextension if, during the seven-year period, youperform another term of service in anapproved AmeriCorps position or if you wereunavoidably prevented from using the award.

Participants in certain AmeriCorps pro-grams may elect not to receive the educationaward but to take a post-service stipend

instead. AmeriCorps*VISTA members maychoose either a stipend check or an educationaward—but not both. All other AmeriCorpsmembers are only eligible for an educationaward from the Trust. AmeriCorps*VISTAmembers who have chosen a stipend willreceive a prorated portion of that stipend basedon their length of service, regardless of theirreason for leaving.

PAYMENT OF ACCRUEDINTEREST

If you successfully complete your term of ser-vice and have obtained forbearance, the Trustwill pay all (for full-time members) or a por-tion (for part-time members) of the interestthat accrues on your loans while you are serv-ing. Since these are benefits above and beyondyour education award, interest payments willnot be deducted from the amount of youraward. The Trust cannot pay any interestaccrued during the period if you do not suc-cessfully complete your term of service.However, although generally you cannot haveany interest paid by the Trust if you don’t com-plete a full term of service, it may be paidunder other federal regulations. Your lenderwill be able to tell you whether your studentloan qualifies for another type of deferment orforbearance.

You should request from your loan holder abill or statement showing the total amount ofinterest that accrued during your postpone-ment period (your service period). A form torequest this information will be made avail-able to you through your project or you can ask

your loan company for this information bycalling on its toll-free line. The notice from theloan company should include the beginningand ending dates upon which this total wasbased. You may have this bill or statement sentdirectly to the National Service Trust orpreferably mailed to yourself. If it is sent toyou, you should make a photocopy for yourrecords and mail the original to the Trust. TheTrust will pay the interest when it has: 1) ver-ification from your project that you have suc-cessfully completed your term of service; and2) the bill or statement showing the totalamount of interest that accrued during theterm of service.

COMMON QUESTIONS ANDANSWERS

What do I need to do to get the educationaward?

You must successfully complete your term ofservice. Then, within 14 days of receiving theEnd-of-Term Form from your project, the Trustwill send you a voucher and letter that youshould take to the school or your lender. Thepayment will be sent directly to the school orlender; it does not go to you.

How many education awards can I receive?

Two. You may receive one award for your firstand second terms of service. Both terms canbe for full-time, part-time, or reduced part-time terms or they can be for two differenttypes of terms.

APPENDIX AEducationaward

information

page 82

How long do I have to use my educationaward?

You must use the award within seven years ofthe date you complete your service. You mayapply for an extension of this time period if youwere performing another term of service in anapproved AmeriCorps program or if you wereunavoidably prevented from using the awardduring the period. You must apply for an exten-sion before the end of the seven-year period.

What can I use my education award for?

Awards can be used:

* to repay existing or future qualified edu-cational loans; and

* to pay for the cost of attending a quali-fied institution of higher education or anapproved School-to-Work program, asdefined by the U.S. Departments ofEducation and Labor.

The award isn’t limited to one loan or oneschool. It can be used to help pay several qual-ified loans or to pay the costs of attendance atseveral educational institutions, or to pay for acombination of loans and schools.

What expenses are considered part of the“cost of attending” a qualified school?

The U.S. Department of Education has definedthe term “costs of attendance” to mean tuition,normal fees, and required material, equip-ment, and supplies. In addition, each educa-tional institution establishes allowances for

room and board, books, supplies, transporta-tion, and miscellaneous personal expenses.These expenses, too, are included in the cost ofattendance. See your school’s financial aidoffice for the expenses covered in the cost ofattendance for your academic program.

If I have already paid for some of theseexpenses out of my own pocket, can thecheck be sent to me?

By law, the Trust can send checks only to qual-ified schools and loan holders. Checks cannotbe sent to others, such as landlords or mort-gage companies. However, your school canreimburse you for expenses included in the“cost of attendance” that you paid for yourself.See your financial aid office for more informa-tion on how your school handles reimburse-ments and disbursements.

What kinds of schools can I attend using theawards?

You may attend an institution of higher educa-tion (including certain vocational programs)as defined in section 481(a) of the HigherEducation Act of 1965, as amended (20 USC1088(a)). This includes most institutions ofhigher education (including graduate and pro-fessional programs), as well as some vocation-al schools. The school must have in effect aTitle IV Program Participation Agreementwith the U.S. Department of Education. If indoubt, you should check with the institutionprior to making definite plans. The institu-tion’s financial aid office will know if they

meet this requirement. Ask the financial aidoffice if the school is a Title IV school.

What kinds of loans can I pay off using theawards?

A qualified student loan means any loanmade, insured, or guaranteed pursuant to TitleIV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20USC 1070 et seq.), other than a loan made to aparent of a student pursuant to section 428B ofthe Act; and any loan made pursuant to TitleVII or VIII of the Public Service Health Act (42USC 292a et seq.). Recent legislation includesloans made directly to members by the AlaskaCommission on Postsecondary Education.These citations should be on your loan papers.Your lender will be able to tell you if the loan iscovered. Some of the more common qualifiedstudents loans are Perkins, Stafford, WilliamD. Ford, and federal consolidation loans.

If you are unsure whether the school or theloan qualifies, ask the school or lender. Getwritten confirmation if there is any question.

Is it true that some schools match educationawards?

Some colleges and universities may matchyour education award. Ask your school’sfinancial aid office about this possibility. Go towww.lifetimeofservice.org/?Education to getinformation about schools offering the educa-tion award match. Please note that this web-site information may not be comprehensive.

page83

Can an education award be used to studyoutside the United States?

You may use the education award to attendmany schools outside the United States.Generally, if Stafford loans are available toattend the school, it is a school where you canuse the education award. Also, many qualifiedU.S. postsecondary institutions offer educa-tional opportunities abroad. Before you enrollin a school abroad, you should check to see ifthe school qualifies. The Trust office can pro-vide you with additional information.

Will the education award affect my eligibili-ty for other student financial aid?

The education award will not be taken intoaccount in determining eligibility for any fed-eral student aid. The Corporation has no juris-diction over whether state or private universi-ties—or private scholarship funds—will takeit into account in determining eligibility forinstitutional aid; however, the Corporation hasrequested that institutions not do so.

Can cash be taken instead of an educationaward?

It depends upon the program in which you areparticipating. Members in AmeriCorps*VISTAmust select either a post-service stipend or aneducation award. They are asked to indicatewhether they want a check for the post-servicestipend instead of the award. OtherAmeriCorps members are eligible only for acash payment if the option is provided by thelocal project with non-federal monies. If in

doubt, you should ask your project director ifthis applies to you.

What happens if I withdraw from the schoolor fail to complete my period of enrollmentfor which the award has been used?

The school must have a fair and equitablerefund policy that complies with the HigherEducation Act of 1965, as amended. If there isany refund owed and returned to theCorporation, the amount will be credited toyour “account” in the Trust, and can be usedby you, within seven years of your completionof service.

Will I have to pay taxes on my educationaward?

According to the IRS, in most cases awards aresubject to income taxes in the calendar year inwhich they are used. The Corporation willdeduct no taxes, but it will send you a Form 1099to be used in preparing your income tax return.

Is my award transferable? For example, if Iam unable to use it, can I transfer the awardto another individual?

No. Only AmeriCorps members are eligible foreducation awards. You may not transfer it to arelative or any other individual under any cir-cumstance.

What if I have other questions?

General Questions: The National Service Trusthas a toll-free number. Call 1-888-507-5962,or e-mail [email protected] to reportan address change, request a duplicate vouch-er, or find out about policies and proceduresregarding the education award or forbearance.

Specific Questions: If you have specific ques-tions about your award, a payment, or yourforbearance request, call (202) 606-5000, x347.

Address:National Service TrustCorporation for National and Community Service1201 New York Avenue, NWWashington, D.C. 20525

page 84

page85

Choosing a Field of Studyand a School

O ften, people find both of these tasks sooverwhelming that they hardly knowwhere to start. If that describes youright now, here’s something to

remember: many college students change theirmajors at least once before graduation. So, evenif you’ve yet to choose yours, it’s not such a badidea to enroll somewhere anyway. That way, youcan begin to satisfy the required courses and, atthe same time, consider possible options for youreventual major. In a college career-planningcourse or with a career counselor, you canexplore fields of study, majors, and types of work—and how they relate.

If you know that you want to study in yourcurrent geographic area, contact the collegesand universities in that area by calling theiradmission offices. Ask for three documents,which they can send or you can pick up in per-son. These days many schools offer this infor-mation and forms on-line. Check the college or

university’s website for more information.

* College catalogue. This comprehensivedocument describes the school’s mission,policies, faculty, services, tuition andfees, and general courses of study.

* Schedule of classes. The schedule willgive you a sense of what classes theschool offers, as well as when andwhere. Sometimes schools with largeadult-student populations offer classesoutside the campus, in areas more con-venient to workers.

“Distance learning” is available atmany schools now. This means that stu-dents don’t necessarily have to be oncampus to attend classes. Students maybe able to access a class through a com-puter network or closed-circuit televi-sion system in their area. Check out thepossibilities if you are interested in thismethod of instruction.

* Application for admission. By lookingthrough this multi-page form, you’ll seewhat you must do in order to apply tothat particular school. One section of theform will no doubt call for you to write aStatement of Purpose. In Appendix Byou’ll find a section that deals with this.(The same advice applies to most narra-tive or autobiographical informationrequested at the undergraduate level.)

These documents will begin to give you anidea of what the university offers formally.

You should also check out the school infor-mally in at least two ways. First, if you can, goto the campus you would be attending and get

a sense of the place. Hang out for a while. Sit inon a class if possible. Spend some time in thelibrary, residence halls, student union, and thestudent activities center. Use the transportationsystem you would use to travel to school. Doyou like what you see? Why? Why not?

Second, speak to professors and students inthe area of study you are considering. Ask themabout the classes they teach/attend and abouthow they spend their time on campus. If youwill be working while you go to school, try tofind out what kind of support the school has foradults. Is day care available, for example? Arelate-afternoon or evening classes available? Dothe library and career center remain open someevenings? This informal “inspection” of thecampus will occur more formally if you apply tothe school. Just try to get a sense of the campus.

Through these methods, identify no fewerthan five and no more than ten schools thatinterest you. This is your “short list,” a group ofschools you need to investigate thoroughly by:

* Acquiring from each (and reading!) thethree documents described earlier.

* Visiting the campuses formally and get-ting answers to any questions you haveabout each school and its programs.

* Talking with students such as yourself;for example, a conversation with aneighteen-year-old freshman who liveson campus may be considerably lesshelpful than one with a forty-five-year-old single mother who works full-timeand attends—or will attend—classespart-time and only at night.

If you cannot visit far-away schools on yourshort list, ask about the availability of “homepages” for schools on the World Wide Web. Youmay be able to “visit” schools through theirtechnology.

If you already know what you want to studybut not where, you may want to begin yourresearch with the Peterson’s Guides series (seebibliography on page 87); the Guides series isavailable by subject area. If you are open toattending school in any location, you mightwant to use one of the career-planning soft-ware programs—DISCOVER or SIGIPLUS—to narrow down your choices. Such software isavailable at many high schools and communi-ty colleges, and at some public libraries.

Applying for Admission

Every school has an admission office where youcan inquire about fees, policies, programs ofstudy, etc. You submit applications for admissionto the school here. Even though these applica-tions take a lot of time, avoid the temptation tohurry through. Be as thorough, concise, andneat as you can. If you have access to a comput-er, check to see whether the applications can becompleted on computers. If so, you’ll save timeon revisions (which you will probably do sever-al times before submitting the application).

Many colleges require completion of a stan-dardized admission test as part of the admis-sion process. Two standardized tests are com-mon—the American College Testing exam(ACT) and the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT).

APPENDIX BHigher

education:going

about it

page 86

ACT(319) 337-1000www.act.org

SAT(609) 771-7600www.collegeboard.org

If you have already completed some collegecourses and want to return to the same school,you may have to go through the admissionprocess again. Ask. If you left school becauseof poor grades and/or disciplinary problems,ask an admission officer what you have to doto re-enroll. Don’t assume that previous prob-lems mean you can never return to school.Almost all schools will give you at least onemore chance. Try.

Applying for Financial Aid

These days nearly everyone needs some finan-cial assistance to attend school. YourAmeriCorps educational award will help. Youhave up to seven years from the time you com-plete your term of service to use the award. Ifyou will not be using it right away, ask yourAmeriCorps leader or supervisor who you’llneed to contact to redeem the award in thefuture. Don’t miss the opportunity to use youreducational award!

If your AmeriCorps educational award is notenough to cover everything, check out addi-tional financial aid possibilities by contactingthe financial aid office of the college(s) youhope to attend. There are several types offinancial aid: loans have to be paid back afteryou leave or complete school; grants do not.

Scholarships, which are awarded through acompetitive process, also don’t have to be paidback. Work-study arrangements allow quali-fied students to work while they attend school,and an increasing amount of that work is inservice organizations in the community. Eachschool may offer a somewhat different finan-cial aid “package” so be sure to learn about allof your options.

Using Academic Advisors

Advisors help students select courses to fittheir current knowledge, skills, and areas ofinterest. Yours, for example, could help youchoose your major and then sort out whichclasses will satisfy the requirements for yourmajor and for your degree.

You may be assigned an academic advisor assoon as you are admitted to a school. If not, askfor one. Then make a visit with your advisor atop priority. He or she can be the most importantperson at school for you. Ask for help wheneveryou need it, or even before you need it.

Getting A Degree

To get a degree, students must do two things,the first of which is to earn enough academiccredits to graduate. Each class you take will beworth a certain number of academic credits,usually three. An associate degree usuallyrequires 60 semester credit hours of study, abachelor’s, 120 hours.

The second requirement is to complete spe-cific courses of study. For example, most

schools require everyone to take certain cours-es (“basic requirements”). Additionally, eachstudent must complete all courses required fora particular major. In other words, someonewho has earned 130 semester credit hoursmight still be ineligible for graduation withoutenough credit in the right categories.

The requirement for a specific course ofstudy is what makes academic advisors soimportant. They can guide you through themaze of courses in such a way that you gainthe knowledge and skills you want and alsosatisfy the requirements for graduation.

Obtaining Academic Credit

These days people gain credit in several ways.This section will discuss both “traditional” and“nontraditional” avenues for AmeriCorpsmembers to explore.

* Traditional Routes. Today, as in thepast, two principal ways people get aca-demic credit are by attending and pass-ing classes and by transferring academ-ic credits from other schools. Try totransfer whatever credits you haveearned over the years. (Your academicadvisor or admission officer should beable to answer questions about thetransfer process.) If your school refusessome of your credits, don’t just give themup. See what you need to do to appeal,and then do it. You might gain back atleast some of the rejected credit hours.

* Nontraditional Routes. You may be ableto receive academic credit in nontradi-

tional, sometimes faster and less expen-sive, ways. Many colleges and universi-ties offer programs that award credit forlearning gained outside the formalclassroom. Be careful not to equatelearning gained outside the formalclassroom with experience, however.Experience cannot translate to academiccredit; only the learning acquiredthrough experience can. Here are non-traditional methods in current use:

* Credit-by-Exam. If you have expertise ina certain subject area or areas that youacquired through means other than for-mal classroom settings, you may be ableto take an exam in your subject area(s). Ifyou pass the exam, you may be able towaive required courses and/or get creditfor the knowledge you have. CLEP(College-Level Examination Program),ACT-PEP (American College TestingProficiency Examination Program), andDANTES (Defense Activity for Non-traditional Educational Support) are com-mon credit-by-examination programs.

* Credit through Formal Recommen-dations. Much of the formal adult edu-cation and training in the United Statestakes place in courses sponsored by themilitary, corporations and unions, andby government agencies. If you havetaken such courses, your learning maybe appropriate for college credit (L. Lamdin, Earn College Credit forWhat You Know, 2nd Edition, Chicago:Council for Adult and ExperientialLearning, 1992, p. 78).

page87

Some kinds of training have been pre-approved for academic credit by the NewYork State Regents National Program onNoncollegiate Sponsored Instruction(PONSI) and the American Council onEducation (ACE) College Recommen-dation Service. Nearly 900 cooperatingcolleges and universities award creditbased on PONSI recommendations.Nearly 6,000 training courses areapproved for credit by ACE. Most insti-tutions of higher education belong toACE and are, therefore, receptive toACE’s recommendations. Ask local col-leges or universities to discuss the possi-bility of credit hours through PONSI orACE recommendations.

The American Council on Educationpublishes directories of training andother programs recommended for col-lege-level academic credit. The NationalGuide to Educational Credit for TrainingPrograms and A Guide to the Evaluationof Educational Experiences in the ArmedServices are available from Oryx Pressat 800-279-6799. The PONSI guide,published every other year, is CollegeCredit Recommendations: The Directoryof the New York Regents NationalProgram on Noncollegiate SponsoredInstruction. To request the current guide,write to the University of the State ofNew York, PONSI, Cultural EducationCenter, Room 5A25, Albany, N.Y. 12230.

* Prior-Learning Assessment. A thirdcommon way to acquire academic creditfor what you have learned outside for-

mal classroom instruction is throughprior-learning assessment by a school.Many schools offer a course throughwhich students write a portfolio or nar-rative about what they have learnedoutside of school, and provide appropri-ate documentation. That portfolio ornarrative is then assessed by facultymembers. If the learning is deemedappropriate at the college level, academ-ic credit may be awarded.

Former AmeriCorps members may try toget academic credit for the learningacquired during AmeriCorps service.Undergraduate programs are likely tooffer this opportunity, which is an excel-lent way for adults to get academic cred-it for learning. You may need to docu-ment your AmeriCorps training andexperience. Work with your supervisorsand program leaders to determine whatdocumentation you might use.

A definitive guide to the nontraditionalprocesses of earning academic credit was pub-lished in 1992 by the Council for Adult andExperiential Learning, 243 South WabashAvenue, Suite 800, Chicago, Ill. 60604.Telephone: 312-922-5909, www.cael.org. CAELpublications can be ordered by calling 800-228-0810. The guide, by Lois Lamdin, is titled EarnCollege Credit for What You Know (2nd edition).

Getting the Most Out ofSchool

Some students view school as a stage to beendured, something to finish quickly with as

little effort as possible. Adult students like you,however, tend to be more committed and prac-tical. In choosing the subjects they will study,these students make sure they acquire theknowledge and/or potential for later employ-ment. Adult students tend to be less intimidat-ed by school in general.

Following are some hints to help you get themost out of your next foray into a higher-edu-cation setting.

* Set goals and focus on them. Knowwhat you want to get out of school beforeyou start, or at least explore the possibil-ities early on. Taking a career-explo-ration class in your first year of highereducation is a good idea.

* Go to class, do the suggested readingand research, listen to your professors.Get involved with your school work. Yourcommitment to your work will rewardyou with good grades and an increasingconfidence in your knowledge and abili-ties.

* Get acquainted with your professors.They can help you make sense of thematerial in class, choose an internship,and get into graduate school or find a jobafter you graduate. They are interestedin your success as a student. Ask fortheir help when (or even before) youneed it.

* Make use of your academic advisor.Every student in higher education isassigned an academic advisor. Ask foran advisor who knows your subject areawell, one who can verify that you’re on

the path you want to follow. Get youradvisor’s best advice about classes andteachers who will be most helpful to you.If you are not satisfied with your acade-mic advisor, talk about your concerns.Ask for a new advisor if necessary.

* Take advantage of the Career Center.Most institutions of higher learning willhave some sort of Career Center. Makingsense of what is available there willrequire time and patience. These will berewarded, however, because you shouldbe able to find information about majors,employment prospects, types of employ-ment, and ways to merge your skills,values, and interests with a course ofstudy and/or a type of work.

* Get experience. Arrange for an intern-ship or other work opportunity in yourchosen field(s) of study. There is no bet-ter way to see how your studies relate tothe world of work. If you are havingtrouble choosing between majors,arrange an internship in each area.Your academic advisor, as well as careercounselors, professors, service-learn-ing/volunteer office staff, and/or thecooperative education office may be ableto help you find an internship. To aprospective employer, the combination ofdegree and work experience speaksmuch louder than a degree alone.

* Enjoy social time (if you can). Forsome, the demands of work, family, andschool are too heavy to permit school-related socializing. If you can, however,do so, for hanging out with fellow stu-

page 88

dents can be a rewarding and learningexperience. Sometimes people forge life-long friendships with people they get toknow in college. You’ll be able to meetpeople from cultures and regions towhich you have never been exposed.Moreover, the student “grapevine” offersnew information (and gossip!) that mayhelp you choose classes and professors.Also, you may be able to join a studygroup to get through a tough class.

(See Appendix D for more sources of infor-mation about higher education.)

If you go on to higher education afterAmeriCorps, you’ll have a chance to prepareyourself for a satisfying work life. You’ll findthat the more you put into your next learningexperience, the more you’ll gain from it. Putanother way, “What goes around comesaround.” Good luck!

page89

By Thomas Q. Reefe, Continuing EducationGuide (Washington, D.C.: Peace Corps, 1994).

Motivation

Remember that advanced educationis usually not an end in itself. It is,instead, a means to an end becausegraduate and professional schools

are career-development institutions. To beginor sustain certain careers, advanced training isa must. For example, to enter the practice oflaw, one must go to law school (and pass a statebar exam). Public health professionals usuallyneed a Master’s in Public Health degree to gettheir first job, and few university professorscould get or keep a job without a doctorate.Some professionals—school teachers and fed-eral government employees, for example—pursue specialized master’s degrees to gainexpertise, promotions, and salary increases.

One point is vital: If you attend graduateschool, it is essential to choose one with a pro-gram suited to your career goals—which you

should be clear about before beginning a grad-uate program. Deciding to go to graduate orprofessional school is a big decision that canlead to quality education and entry into a pro-fession or career of your choice. Made with toolittle thought, however, the same decisioncould lead you to drop out of school. In such anevent, not only would you lack an advanceddegree, but you would also have to pay offunnecessary educational debt.

Think carefully about your reasons for goingto graduate and professional school. Graduateeducation and professional training can be along haul, and sometimes the only thing thatsustains you will be your long-term motiva-tion. Thus, every hour you spend examiningyour intellectual interests, your skills, and yourprofessional goals will pay off in the end.

There is a final reason to clarify career goalsbefore applying to graduate or professionalschool. The graduate admission process itselfis designed to probe and examine career moti-vations. Your chances of acceptance will begreater if you appear purposeful and likely tograduate and pursue a career for which theschool prepares its students.

Degrees and Certificates

Graduate and professional schools offer a bewil-dering array of degrees and certificates. You willprobably also find a great variety in the careervalue of these differing degrees. Take time tothoroughly investigate the type of degree youwish to pursue. Specialized graduate programsoffer specialized degrees for specific career paths.Thus, you need to know the “alphabet soup” of

higher education degrees to make the bestinformed decision about the type of degree topursue and about the schools to which to apply.

What follows are commonly accepted gener-alizations about advanced degrees, but keep inmind that there are as many exceptions asthere are graduate programs. Therefore, asyou research graduate education options,research thoroughly the career impact of thespecific degree.

MASTER’S DEGREE

Many people considering graduate school arethinking of some type of master’s degree.Normally, it takes about two years of full-timecourse work to achieve this degree. Two typesof master’s degrees are tied to the doctoralpathway—the Master of Arts (M.A.) and theMaster of Science (M.S.). These often serve astransitional degrees that must be awardedbefore a graduate student can formallyadvance to the doctoral pathway. Such degreesare routinely awarded in academic disci-plines—political science, literature, chemistry,biology, history, physics, anthropology, etc.

There are also master’s degree programsoutside the doctoral pathway that are designedto put the student on the path toward a suc-cessful career. About two-thirds of the 300,000master’s degrees awarded yearly are profes-sional master’s degrees. These are careerdegrees in their own right. For example, some-one thinking of a career in local or county gov-ernment would pursue a Master of PublicAdministration, focusing on a course of studyin city government, criminal justice adminis-tration, or some other field.

In some cases, a specialized advanceddegree is necessary before a person can take alicensing exam. The Master of Social Work(M.S.W.), for example, is often a requirementfor someone wishing to become a LicensedClinical Social Worker (L.C.S.W.). And it is vir-tually impossible to become a practicinglibrarian without at least a Master of LibraryScience (M.L.S) degree.

PROFESSIONAL CERTIFICATE

Often earned by four-year college graduates,professional certificates provide specific train-ing in certain fields—such as informationsystems, publications, and financial manage-ment. Many legal assistants, for example, earna professional certificate before entering thefield. Professional certificate programs gener-ally take one to two years to complete.

DOCTORATE

Requiring about seven years to complete afterthe B.A., the doctorate often takes the form ofthe Ph.D. (Doctor of Philosophy). The mostcommon type of doctoral degree, the Ph.D. isthe degree of choice for people who wish tobecome professional teachers and/orresearchers in higher education, industry, andgovernment. The decision to pursue a doctor-ate is not one to take lightly, as the degree willtake several years to complete and will cost alot of money. (Check out the detailed informa-tion about the AmeriCorps education award inAppendix A.)

APPENDIX CGraduateschool:a closer

look

page 90

Locating and Selecting theBest Programs

For help in finding a graduate school and/orprofessional program that fits your needs, youcan look to a variety of resources. Friends, for-mer professors, and knowledgeable profession-als in your chosen field may have useful sug-gestions and recommendations. You can consultpublications like Peterson’s Annual Guides toGraduate Study, a comprehensive six-volumereference to graduate and professional schools,that contain useful descriptions of individualprograms organized by field of study, degreesawarded, costs, size of faculty, entrancerequirements, and application deadlines. Insome cases, the percentage of applicants accept-ed is also published. You will also find phonenumbers and addresses for the director, chair-person, dean, or program office. Look for thisresource at well-stocked community libraries,career centers, and college/university libraries.

In addition to career information, occupation-al and professional associations sometimes pub-lish information about graduate and profession-al schools in their particular fields. For example,the American Psychological Association pub-lishes annually its own guide, Graduate Studyin Psychology and Related Field. A telephonecall or letter of inquiry to an occupational or pro-fessional association in a chosen career field willoften get you a list of books and pamphlets avail-able from the association. To identify phonenumbers and addresses of such organizations,check the Encyclopedia of Associations (Detroit:Gale Research Co.).

Because the quality of a graduate programwill reflect the quality of its faculty, you need tolook carefully at the faculties of schools you’reconsidering. Find out who these people are, andcheck their research interests and reputations.Having an idea of who you’d like to study withcan strongly influence your decision of where toapply. Other factors to consider include the over-all quality of students accepted to the program,library holdings in the field of study, laboratoryfacilities, and job-placement assistance. Youwill have criteria yourself, as well.

To maximize your chances for acceptance, itis wise to apply to a range of programs. Indoing so, however, try not to underestimateyourself and your prospects by applying to pro-grams and schools beneath your ability andqualifications. Generally speaking, the betterthe graduate or professional program, the bet-ter the career opportunities of its advanced-degree holders. Prestige of degree often countswhen seeking that first entry-level positionafter leaving graduate or professional school.There is no substitute for excellence.

In some of the more popular fields, nationalrankings of graduate and professional schoolsand departments have been published in thepopular or trade press. Be somewhat cautiouswhen using these resources, however, becauseoften only the very best and most competitiveschools of national ranking are listed. Thus,you might exclude many outstanding local orregional universities from your consideration.

In the end, the task of ranking programs ofinterest will fall upon you. Seek out the opin-ions of knowledgeable professionals in the

field. Also, feel free to consult with the peoplewho control admission to a specific program;ask them how they would rank other programsin their field. If at all possible, visit campusesand seek out program faculty and staff.Currently enrolled students can give usefuladvice as well. Ask to sit in on a class or two. Ifthe school is too far away to visit, call programstaff members and faculty to ask questions notaddressed in the informational material theprogram sends out. Finally, resourceful appli-cants may wish to call program alumni toassess the value of their training and theimpact of the degree in the job market.

Applications, Deadlines,and Procrastination

Around Labor Day, most graduate and profes-sional schools are ready to mail out applica-tions and informational materials for the fol-lowing (not upcoming) academic year.Therefore, request application materials in thelate summer or early autumn of the yearbefore you wish to enter a graduate program.Fill out the application carefully, typing it orcompleting it on a computer if at all possible. It

can take weeks for an application, collegiatetranscripts, test scores, and letters of recom-mendation to trickle into a graduate admissionoffice. So plan ahead!

For programs that begin in the following fallterm, application deadlines will generally bebetween December and February. Admissionletters (offers) usually go out in mid-Marchand later for programs with December toFebruary application deadlines. April 15 is thegenerally recognized date after which gradu-ate schools expect to receive replies to admis-sion offers.

The most common mistake applicants makeis failing to apply well ahead of the deadline.In fact, the majority of applications will arrivejust before the deadline. What most people donot realize is that the deadline is not the pre-ferred application date; rather, it is the lastpossible moment to apply. People who procras-tinate can harm their chances for admission.

The best approach is to mail applications amonth before the deadline. This allows time toresolve any last minute problems: late-arriv-ing letters of recommendation, a form filled outincorrectly, a tardy transcript, and so on.

page91

Information/Sources/Graduate SchoolAdmission Exams

Graduate Record Examination (GRE)(609) 771-7670 (Princeton, N.J.)(510) 873-8100 (Oakland, Calif.)www.ets.org

Law School Admission Test (LSAT)(215) 968-1001www.lsat.org

Medical College Admission Test (MCAT)(202) 828-0690www.aamc.org

Graduate Management Admission Test(GMAT)www.gmat.org

Early applications receive more careful con-sideration than those arriving close to thedeadline. By recognizing that admission andadministrative staff are overworked close toapplication deadlines, wise applicants positiontheir paperwork to arrive at a time when itwill get the best consideration.

Letters of Recommendation

Normally, graduate and professional schoolswill ask each applicant to arrange for letters ofrecommendation (usually three). Applicationpackages sent by the graduate school usuallycontain recommendation forms and sometimesinclude self-addressed envelopes. The appli-cant fills out part of the form and then gives itto the person who is to write the recommenda-tion. Because the letter writer is often expectedto mail the letter directly to the graduate pro-gram, the applicant should provide the writerwith a stamped envelope addressed to thegraduate or professional school.

In cases where someone is applying to manygraduate schools, recommenders may have towrite several letters. Often, applicants hesitateto ask this, thinking that their request mayseem burdensome to the letter writer. But it’sreally not as burdensome as one may think.Word processors have greatly facilitated thewriting of letters and the production of person-alized copies. It is helpful to give the letter-writer a copy of the final draft of the statementof purpose (see next section) you will send tothe graduate school.

Letters of recommendation, which are readcarefully by admission committees, are a crit-ical component of an application dossier. So,

these letters should be written by people wellacquainted with your intellectual abilities andskills. In the final analysis, it is better torequest a letter from someone lower in the aca-demic or work hierarchy, who knows you well,than to ask someone higher up who knows youonly superficially.

The Statement of Purpose

Application forms for most graduate schoolsrequire an applicant to write a statement ofpurpose several hundred words long. Typicalinstructions read as follows:

Write a brief statement concerning both yourpast work in your intended field of study andallied fields, your plans for graduate study at thisuniversity, and your subsequent career plans.

If thoughtfully organized and well written,the statement of purpose can do much to pro-mote your admission to a competitive graduateprogram. It should be upbeat and positive,highlighting your qualifications for admissionto graduate school. Through the requirementto write a statement of purpose, the admissioncommittee members invite you to tell themwhatever you think is important. Because somany students apply to graduate schools, onlya few programs conduct personal interviewsanymore. Instead, admission committees relyupon the statement of purpose to give them asense of applicants’ personal commitment toacquire an advanced degree or certificate.

Following are hints on writing a strongstatement of purpose:

Good writing is rewriting. Think of thestatement of purpose as a writing test:

misspelled words, typographical errors,and poor grammar will not suggest astrong potential for success in a graduateor professional school, where communi-cation skills are so important. Edit andrewrite your statement several times forcontent, organization, and style.

Don’t tell the admission committeewhat you think they want to hear.Successful applicants write about them-selves in an authentic prose voice,telling what they think is importantabout their backgrounds and theirachievements.

Clearly explain your motivations forgraduate study. Name the advanceddegree you seek. If your decision to go tograduate school comes from life experi-ences, explain these. Remember thatinsights gained from undergraduateeducation or your AmeriCorps experi-ence may be relevant.

Emphasize strengths and accomplish-ments. The statement of purpose pro-vides a chance to describe intellectualstrengths and life accomplishments.This is an opportunity not to be wasted.Write about academic achievements—even if you’ve been out of college for sev-eral years. Inspirational courses thatpointed the way to graduate or profes-sional school are worth describing. Besure to highlight a good grade pointaverage (GPA), even if it is also listed ona transcript. Successful completion of asenior thesis or comprehensive exami-nation in the undergraduate major

should be listed as well. Note any grad-uation accomplishments, such as hon-ors—Magna or Summa Cum Laude,Phi Beta Kappa membership, etc.

Life and work experience can also beimportant. Graduate and professionalschools are looking for mature individu-als; many seek applicants with extensiveprior experience in areas related to thegraduate field. It is important to under-stand the skills needed to succeed in thegraduate field and to explain how youdeveloped those you already havethrough volunteer and paid work experi-ence, international travel, etc.

Be specific and present evidence. Toooften, applicants write in glittering gen-eralities. Wise applicants, however, pre-sent specific evidence. When explaininga particular strength or accomplish-ment, include the details. For example, ifdescribing a work experience, explain itin some depth: Where did the workoccur? What were its most challengingaspects? What did you learn that is rele-vant to the graduate school experience?Statements of purpose that present evi-dence and speak in the specific vocabu-lary of the real world will be wellreceived.

Write about your AmeriCorps experi-ence. If your choice of a specific degree ora particular program was influenced byyour AmeriCorps experience, tell why.Graduate admission committees seekindividuals who are in some way unique.AmeriCorps is a mark of uniqueness, and

page 92

elements of the assignment are worthhighlighting. Remember that some peo-ple may know little about AmeriCorps, sobe sure to describe the program and yourexperience as clearly as possible.

Tell a story. Be anecdotal. One of the bestways to be specific and present evidenceis to tell a real-life story. Readers want tolearn about the applicant as a person,and a paragraph describing a challeng-ing life experience or an event thatpointed you toward graduate educationcan humanize your statement of pur-pose. In many ways, the AmeriCorpsexperience is an anecdotal experience,one filled with memorable people, chal-lenges, frustrations, and triumphs.Parts of this experience may be worthdescribing in a statement of purpose.

Write with integrity. Applicants worryneedlessly about telling an admissioncommittee what they really think aboutimportant, controversial issues, believingthat opinions or stands on an issue willalienate readers. The fact is that admis-sion committees seek thoughtful appli-cants who hold informed opinions devel-oped through challenging life experiences.

Explain career goals. A means to anend, graduate education exists to pre-pare students for a career. Tell theadmission committee about your careergoals, both for the short and long term.

Explain why you wish to enroll in thespecific graduate program. Admissioncommittee members tend to be

impressed by people who can do this in arational manner. Evidence of researchabout the program, its faculty, and itsresources is worth presenting, as is ref-erence to a campus visit and conversa-tions with faculty and staff. Explainspecifically how the graduate curricu-lum fits into your long-term careerplans.

Beware of the tyranny of time. Manyapplicants assume, incorrectly, that theymust account for every year of their life.Instead, your statement of purpose needsto be a selective document that empha-sizes those parts of your past that arerelevant to admission.

Don’t be intimidated by length limits. Agood statement of purpose can usuallybe written in 750 to 1,000 words. Such alength is not so short as to limit the abil-ity to explain qualifications fully, yet notso long as to bore the reader. Don’t beobsessed with squeezing the statementonto the form provided. If necessary, youcan continue the statement on an extrasheet of paper. Single-space typed para-graphs separated by double spacing areparticularly readable. The fact is that, ifthe statement of purpose is well-written,authentic, and eloquent, length becomesless and less a consideration in the mindof a reader.

Financial Aid

The thought of costs can be needlessly intimi-dating to anyone thinking about applying to

graduate or professional school, even if anAmeriCorps educational award is available.Many people assume that most advanced edu-cation must be paid out of personal funds, andthat they cannot apply until they haveamassed a small fortune in a savings account.Others assume they must find money fromsome outside source before they can apply tograduate or professional school. Both groupsmisunderstand the major trends in the fund-ing of an advanced education.

For one thing, many people work full timeand go to graduate and professional school inthe evenings and on weekends. These studentspay as they go. This is a particularly notablepattern among those seeking a law degree or aMaster’s in Business Administration (MBA).Education taken in this manner usuallyrequires at least a year longer than if the stu-dents attended school full time.

A variety of funding sources for graduateand professional school lie outside the realm ofthe university. For example, government agen-cies, private foundations, and some companieswill provide direct grants and other support toindividual applicants. In addition, specialfunding programs exist for members of minor-ity groups that have traditionally been exclud-ed from opportunities in higher education.However, there is not as much of this moneyavailable as many assume, and it is far frombeing the most common source of financial aid.

The fact is that the bulk of financial aid foran advanced education is funneled throughthe graduate and professional schools them-selves, rather than through outside fundingagencies. Graduate admission personnel know

that astute applicants apply to more than oneschool. They know, too, that they must offercompetitive financial aid packages to attractgood students.

Personal decisions about financing a gradu-ate education can be made only after accep-tance to graduate school and after the schoolhas made a financial aid offer. Therefore,apply to good graduate or professional schoolsregardless of how much they cost. Second, themore schools to which you apply and areadmitted, the more likely you are to receivemultiple financial-aid offers. The best situa-tion occurs when an applicant is happily com-paring financial aid offers from severalschools.

Financial aid eligibility is based upon meritor need. As a former AmeriCorps member, youcould be an attractive candidate for merit-based financial aid in graduate school becauseof your record of excellence and ability torespond to challenging situations.

Because federal financial-aid requirementsand guidelines change regularly, you’ll need toget current information from graduate schoolfinancial aid offices. Pay attention to thefinancial aid procedures that operate at allschools to which you apply. You may need tosubmit supplemental financial aid applicationforms for each.

A typical graduate student financial aidpackage will combine grants, paid work, andloans. The proportion of these three elementsin a total financial aid package will varyamong graduate programs and from year toyear in any given program. If financial aid is

page93

particularly important to you, get hold of apublication like Financing Graduate School,by Patricia McWade (Princeton, N.J.:Peterson’s Guides, 1993). This book empha-sizes long-range fiscal planning as the basisupon which to build a financial strategy for agraduate or professional school education.

Final Considerations

If you are considering a graduate program,you are in the process of making a major lifedecision. If you decide to enroll, you’ll be mak-ing a commitment to an academic programand a community, and you may be taking thedefinitive step in your professional career.Here are some questions (adapted from thePeace Corps for AmeriCorps) to consider whenchoosing a graduate program. Althoughappropriate for anyone making the graduateschool decision, the questions will have differ-ing relevance for each individual and forevery academic program. It is important, how-ever, to explore a wide range of options and toavoid eliminating possibilities prematurelywhen going through this process.

ACADEMIC PROGRAM

* How strong is the department in whichyou will be studying?

* How long has the program been in exis-tence?

* Is the department/program growing orshrinking?

* Does the program consider the time con-

straints of working students by provid-ing flexible scheduling?

* Will you be able to handle the requiredcourse load?

* Does the faculty demonstrate knowledgeand experience?

* Will the academic program train you todo what you want to do?

* Will you be able to get hands-on experi-ence through the program?

COSTS

* How much will tuition cost?

* What financial aid is available?

* What will be your overall income?

* How are living costs in the community?

* What will be the transportation costs toand from work, home, and school?

* What are the average housing costs inthe area? Does the school offer studenthousing?

* What are your health insuranceoptions?

WORK COMPONENT

* What kind of help does the program offerwith employment after the degree iscompleted?

* How have earlier program graduatesfared in regard to employment?

LOCATION

Because graduate programs exist just abouteverywhere, prospective students need to con-sider a number of factors: geography, climate,transportation, size of community—to namebut a few.

* Could you survive the winters of Chicagoor the summers of Mississippi?

* Can you afford living expenses in NewYork or San Francisco?

* How important is easy access to culturaland medical facilities?

* Will you need a car?

* Will public transportation get youaround efficiently and safely?

TYPE OF COMMUNITY

* Do you want to live in an urban or ruralcommunity?

* Do you want to live and/or work with aparticular population or culture?

* Do you want to be able to use a secondlanguage?

Although the decision to go to graduateschool is not one to make lightly, it is one thatcan lead to a fruitful experience for AmeriCorpsgraduates. During your deliberations, give theinformation and suggestions in this appendixsome careful thought. Although the materialwas put together to help you gain an “edge” inthe grad-school application process, you are

the one who ultimately determines whetheradmission committees consider your applica-tions seriously. Do everything you can to makethem sit up and take notice.

page 94

page95

Transitions in General

Bridges, W. Making Sense of Life’s Changes:Transitions. Reading, Mass.: Addison-WesleyPublishing Company, 1980.

Bridges, W. Managing Transitions: Making theMost of Change. Reading, Mass.: Addison-Wesley Publishing Company, 1991.

Neugarten, B.L. “Adaptation and the LifeCycle.” In N.K. Schlossberg and A.D. Entine(Eds.), Counseling Adults, Monterey, Calif.:Brooks/Cole, 1977, pp. 34-46.

Schlossberg, N.K. “A Model for AnalyzingHuman Adaptation to Transition.” The Coun-seling Psychologist, vol. 9, no. 2 (1981), pp. 2-18.

Schlossberg, N.K. Counseling Adults in Transition. New York: Springer PublishingCompany, 1984.

Re-Entry Transitions

Austin, C.N. (Ed.). Cross-Cultural Re-Entry: ABook of Readings. Abilene, Texas: AbileneChristian University, 1986.

Austin, C.N. (Ed.). Cross-Cultural Re-Entry: AnAnnotated Bibliography. Abilene, Texas:Abilene Christian University, 1983.

Church, A.T. “Sojourner Adjustment.” Psycho-logical Bulletin, vol. 19 (1982), pp. 540-572.

Martin, J.N. “The Intercultural Reentry:Conceptualization and Directions for FutureResearch.” International Journal of InterculturalRelations, vol. 8 (1984), pp. 115-134.

Storti, C. The Art of Crossing Cultures. Yarmouth,Maine: Intercultural Press, Inc., 1989.

Job Search

Bolles, R.N. What Color is Your Parachute?Berkeley, Calif.: Ten Speed Press, annual edi-tions.

Bolles, R.N. Job-Hunting on the Internet.Berkeley, Calif.: Ten Speed Press, 1997.

Bolles, R.N. Job Hunting Tips for the So-CalledHandicapped. Berkeley, Calif.: Ten SpeedPress, 1991.

Chapman, J. Negotiating Your Salary: How toMake $1,000 a Minute. Berkeley, Calif.: TenSpeed Press, 1996.

Farr, J.M. The Very Quick Job Search and theVery Quick Job Search Activity Book.Indianapolis, Ind: JIST Works, Inc., 1991.

Farr, J.M. The Quick Resume & Cover LetterBook. Indianapolis, Ind.: JIST Works, Inc., 1994.

Figler, H. The Complete Job Search Handbook(2nd Edition). New York: Henry Holt & Co.,1988.

Fry, R. 101 Great Answers to the ToughestInterview Questions (3rd Edition). Hawthorne,N.J.: Career Press, 1994.

Graham, L.O. The Best Companies forMinorities. New York: Plume Publishing, 1993.

Haft, T. The Princeton Review: TrashproofResumes, New York: Random House, 1996.

Jackson, T. Guerrilla Tactics in the New JobMarket. New York: Bantam Books, 1993.

Kennedy, J.L. The Electronic Job SearchRevolution. New York: John Wiley & Sons,1994.

Kennedy, J.L. The Electronic ResumeRevolution. New York: John Wiley & Sons,1994.

Krannich, R. High Impact Resumes andLetters. Manassas, Va.: Impact Publications,1990.

Krannich, R., and C.R. Krannich. DynamiteSalary Negotiations (2nd Edition). Manassas,Va.: Impact Publications, 1994.

Ludden, L. Job Savvy: How to Be A Success atWork. Indianapolis, Ind.: JIST Works, Inc., 1992.

Medley, H.A. Sweaty Palms: The Neglected Artof Being Interviewed, Berkeley, Calif.: TenSpeed Press, 1992.

Mickens, E. The 100 Best Companies for GayMen and Lesbians. New York: Pocket Books,1994.

Moore, D., with S. VanderWey. Take Charge ofYour Own Career: A Guide to FederalEmployment. Odessa, Fla.: PsychologicalAssessment Resources, Inc., 1994.

National Business Employment Weekly.Interviewing. New York: John Wiley & Sons,1994.

National Business Employment Weekly.Networking. New York: John Wiley & Sons,1994.

National Business Employment Weekly.Resumes (2nd Edition). New York: John Wiley& Sons, 1994.

Parker, Y. The Damn Good Resume Guide.Berkeley, Calif.: Ten Speed Press, 1996.

Parker, Y. Resume Catalog: 200 Damn GoodExamples. Berkeley, Calif.: Ten Speed Press,1996.

Riley, M., F. Roehm, and S. Oserman. TheGuide to Internet Job Searching. Chicago, Ill.:VGM Career Horizons, 1995.

Stoodley, M. Information Interviewing: How toTap Your Hidden Job Market. Chicago, Ill.: J.G.Ferguson Publishing Co., 1997.

Wendleton, K. Through the Brick Wall: How toJob Hunt in a Tight Market. New York: FiveO’Clock Books, 1993.

Wendleton, K. Guide to Building a GreatResume. New York: Five O’Clock Books, 1997.

Career Planning

Bolles, R.N. What Color is Your Parachute?Berkeley, Calif.: Ten Speed Press. Annual editions.

APPENDIX DResources

page 96

Borchard, D., J.J. Kelly, and N.P.K. Weaver.Your Career: Choices ,Chances, Changes.Iowa: Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company,1992.

Crystal, J.C., and R.N. Bolles. Where Do I Gofrom Here with My Life? Berkeley, Calif.: TenSpeed Press, 1974.

Dictionary of Occupational Titles. Washington,D.C.: U.S. Department of Labor. Periodic editions.

Enhanced Guide for Occupational Exploration.Indianapolis, Ind. JIST Works, Inc., 1995.(Compiled by M. Maze and D. Mayall based ondata published by the U.S. Department of Labor,Employment and Training Administration.

Farr, M., and S. Christophersen. MakingDecisions: Learning to Take Control of YourLife. Indianapolis, Ind.: JIST Works, Inc., 1991.

Gottfredson, G.D., J.L. Holland, and D.K.Ogawa. Dictionary of Holland OccupationalCodes. Palo Alto, Calif.: ConsultingPsychologists Press, 1982. Holland, J.L.Making Vocational Choices (2nd Edition).Odessa, Fla.: Psychological AssessmentResources, Inc., 1992.

Hoppin, J. (Ed.). Workforce in Transition: ABlueprint for Adult Career Development andJob Search Training. Stillwater, Okla.: NOICCTraining Support Center, 1994.

Occupational Outlook Handbook, 1996-97Edition. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department ofLabor, 1996.

Schein, E.H. Career Anchors: Discovering YourReal Values (Revised Edition). San Diego,Calif.: Pfeiffer, 1990.

Super, D. The Psychology of Careers. NewYork: Harper & Row, 1957.

Starting a Community-BasedOrganization or Business

Action Handbook for Boards. NationalMinority AIDS Council, 1931 13th Street, N.W.,Washington, D.C. 20009.

Annual Register of Grant Support. NewProvidence, N.J.: Reed Reference Publishing.

Answering the Call. Youth Service America,1101 15th Street, N.W., Suite 200, Washington,D.C. 20005. (Also available on America On-Line: Key word is servenet.)

Bolles, R.N. “Trying Something New.” In WhatColor is Your Parachute? Berkeley, Calif.: TenSpeed Press. Annual editions. (This chapterfor the budding entrepreneur also provides agood bibliography, portions of which are citedhere. The bibliography also provides a thor-ough franchising reference list.)

Brown, M., and Khazei, A. Putting Idealism toWork: The City Year Way. Boston, Mass.: CityYear, 285 Columbus Avenue, Boston, Mass.02116. Annual editions.

Carlson, M. Winning Grant Proposals.Rockville, Md.: The Taft Group.

Carlson, M. Winning Grants Step-by-Step:Support Centers of America’s Complete Work-book for Planning, Developing and WritingSuccessful Proposals. San Francisco, Calif:Jossey Bass.

Cohen, W. A. The Entrepreneur and SmallBusiness Problem Solver: An EncyclopedicReference and Guide. New York: John Wiley &Sons.

Collins, J.C., and Porras, J.I. Built to Last:Successful Habits of Visionary Companies.New York: Harper Business.

Edwards, P. and S. The Best Home Businessesfor the 90s: The Inside Information You Need ToKnow to Select a Home-Based Business That’sRight For You. Los Angeles: Jeremy P. Tarcher,Inc.

Gerber, M. The E-Myth Revisited: Why MostSmall Businesses Still Don’t Work and What YouCan Do About Yours, 2nd edition. New York:Harper & Row.

Holland, P. How to Start a Business WithoutQuitting Your Job: The Moonlight Entrepreneur’sGuide. Berkeley, Calif.: Ten Speed Press.

Hopkins, B.R. The Law of Tax-Exempt Organ-izations. New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Levinson, J. C. Guerrilla Marketing Attack:New Strategies, Tactics, and Weapons forWinning Big Profits for Your Small Business.Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co.

McKnight, J. L., and Kretzmann, J.P. BuildingCommunities from the Inside Out: A PathToward Finding and Mobilizing a Community’sAssets. Chicago: ACTA Publications.

McRae, J.A. Management Workbook forCommunity Development Block Grant Organizations. Washington, D.C.: HowardUniversity Department of Housing andCommunity Studies.

Porten, J. The Twentysomething Guide toCreative Self-Employment: Making MoneyWhile Keeping Your Freedom. Rocklin, Calif.:Prima Publications, 1996.

Senge, P. M. Fifth Discipline: The Art andPractice of the Learning Organization. NewYork: Doubleday & Co., Inc.

Senge, P. M. Fifth Discipline Fieldbook: Tools,Techniques and Reflections for Building aLearning Organization. New York: Doubleday& Co., Inc.

Shore, B. Revolution of the Heart: A New Strategyfor Creating Wealth and Meaningful Change.New York: The Putnam Publishing Group.

Small Business Start-Up Index. Detroit: GaleResearch, Inc. Annual editions.

The Foundation Directory. New York: TheFoundation Center.

Higher Education

Allied Health Education Directory. Chicago:Committee on Allied Health Education andAccreditation, 1996.

American Council of Education. The 1998Guide to the Evaluation of EducationalExperiences in the Armed Services. Phoenix,Ariz.: Oryx Press, 1998.

American Council of Education. The NationalGuide to Educational Credit for TrainingPrograms. Phoenix, Ariz.: Oryx Press, 1998.

Better Late Than Never: Financial Aid for Re-Entry Women Seeking Education and Training.Washington, D.C.: WEAL, 1987.

page97

Board of Regents of the University of the State ofNew York, College Credit Recommendations. TheDirectory of the New York Regents NationalProgram on Noncollegiate Sponsored Instruction,Albany, N.Y.: Board of Regents/SUNY.

Carroll, J.L. College Credit without Classes:How to Obtain Academic Credit for What YouAlready Know. Chicago, Ill.: J.G. FergusonPublishing Co., 1996.

Cracking the GED: 1996 edition. Princeton,N.J.: The Princeton Review.

Directory of Professional Preparation Programsin TESOL in the United States. Washington,D.C.: TESOL, 1989-91.

Farr, M., and S. Christophersen. CareerPreparation: Getting the Most from Trainingand Education. Indianapolis, Ind.: JIST Works,Inc., 1991.

Federal Educational and Scholarship FundingGuide, 2nd edition. West Warwick, R.I.: GraycoPublishing, 1990.

Grants for Graduate Students. Annual edition.Princeton, N.J.: Peterson’s Guides.

Higher Education Opportunities for Minoritiesand Women. Annotated Selections. 1991Edition. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department ofEducation.

Mason, Michael J. How to Write a WinningCollege Application Essay, 2nd edition. PrimaPublications, 1994.

MCAT (Medical College Admissions Test)Practice Test. Annual edition. Washington, D.C.:Association of American Medical Colleges.

MCAT Practice Items: Physical Sciences andBiological Sciences MCAT Practice Items:Verbal Reasoning and Writing Sample. AnnualEdition. Washington, D.C.: Association ofAmerican Medical Colleges.

MCAT Student Manual. Annual Edition.Washington, D.C.: Association of AmericanMedical Colleges.

McWade, P. Financing Graduate School.Princeton, N.J.: Peterson’s Guides, 1993.

Medical School Admission Requirements:United States and Canada. Annual edition.Washington, D.C.: Association of AmericanMedical Colleges.

Mitchell, Robert. The Multicultural Student’sGuide to Colleges. New York: Noonday Press,1993.

The Official Guide to GMAT (GraduateManagement Admissions Test) Review. Annualedition. Princeton, N.J.: Educational TestingService.

The Official Guide to MBA Programs. Annualedition. Princeton, N.J.: Graduate Manage-ment Admission Council.

Paying Less for College 1995: The Guide to $35Billion in Financial Aid. Annual edition.Princeton, N.J.: Peterson’s Guides.

Peterson’s Guide to Four Year Colleges 1996.Princeton, N.J.: Peterson’s Guides.

Peterson’s Guides to Two-Year Colleges 1996.Princeton, N.J.: Peterson’s Guides.

Peterson’s Guide to Graduate and ProfessionalPrograms: An Overview. Annual edition.

Princeton, N.J.: Peterson’s Guides.

Peterson’s Guide to Graduate Programs in theBiological and Agricultural Sciences. Princeton,N.J.: Peterson’s Guides.

Peterson’s Guide to Graduate Programs inBusiness, Education, Health, and Law. Annualedition. Princeton, N.J.: Peterson’s Guides.

Peterson’s Guides to Graduate Programs inEngineering and Applied Sciences. Annualedition. Princeton, N.J.: Peterson’s Guides.

Peterson’s Guide to Graduate Programs in theHumanities and Social Sciences. Annual edi-tion. Princeton, N.J.: Peterson’s Guides.

Peterson’s Guide to Graduate Programs in thePhysical Sciences and Mathemtics. Annualedition. Princeton, N.J.: Peterson’s Guides.

Peterson’s Higher Education Directory.Princeton, N.J.: Peterson’s Guides.

Physician Assistant Programs Directory.Annual edition. Alexandria, Va.: Associationof Physician Assistant Programs.

Profiles of USA Natural Resource Schools.Washington, D.C.: USDA Forestry SupportProgram, 1990.

Schwartz, Joan P. (Ed.) Guide to EducationalCredit by Exam, 4th edition. Washington, D.C.:American Council on Education, 1996.

Shields, Charles. Back In School: A Guide forAdult Learners. Career Press, 1994.

Simosko, Susan. Earn College Credit For WhatYou Know. Washington, D.C.: Acropolis Books,1985.

General

American Society for Training andDevelopment. Workplace Basics. Alexandria,Va.: ASTD, 1988.

Encyclopedia of Associations. Detroit: GaleResearch Co. Periodic editions.

Greenleaf, R.K. Servant Leadership: A Journeyinto the Nature of Legitimate Power andGreatness. Mahway, N.J.: Paulist Press, 1977.

Hoppin, J., and H. Splete (Eds.). Curriculum forCareer Development Facilitators. Rochester,Mich.: Oakland University, 1996.

Secretary’s Commission on AchievingNecessary Skills. What Work Requires ofSchools. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department ofLabor, 1991.

Widick, C., C.A. Parker, and L. Knefelkamp.Applying New Developmental Findings. SanFrancisco, Calif.: Jossey Bass, Inc., 1978.

Using the Next StepsWorkbook

Next Steps...Life After AmeriCorpsWorkshop Materials: nationalserviceresources.org/resources/online_pubs/americorps/nextsteps.php.

page 98

T his publication was a collaborativeeffort in the truest sense of the word.More than sixty individuals gaveinterviews or other information to

the author in 1995-96. Each helped to definethe purpose and content of the workbook. Inparticular, AmeriCorps members eloquentlydescribed their service and their dreams forthe future. The editing skills of LyndaEdwards and Suzanne Mintz greatlyimproved the quality of the workbook. Thanksto the following individuals:

AmeriCorps Members:

Monique Alvarado and Scott Moore, FlagstaffPublic Schools, Ariz.; David Turner and ChrisAckerley, Public Defender’s Office, Ariz.; PamBalentine and Valerie Pohlehaus, FlagstaffParks and Recreation, Ariz.; DorothyCuppernell, Arizona Council of Centers forChildren and Adults; Roxanne Shive, NorthwestService Academy, Ore.; Montgomery Bassow,Rhode Island Children’s Crusade for HigherEducation; Nicole Hawley, City Volunteer Corps,N.Y.; Joyce Sprung, Laramie CommunityCollege, Wyo.; Charlanna White, MontgomeryYMCA, Ala.; Lore Diehl, Frostburg AmeriCorps,Md.; Fred Martin, Bay Area CommunityResources, Calif.; Robert R. Shaw, Hearts andHands, Mo.; and Gail Guerrero-Tucker,University of Arizona Rural Health.

AmeriCorps Program Staff and BoardMembers:

Stacey Gubser, Arizona Council of Centers forChildren and Adults; Anne Brown, YouthFocus, Vt.; Keith Brown, Phoenix House, N.Y.;Cindy Murphy, Community Connections,Minn.; Cathy Brill, Volunteer Maryland!;Katherine Gibney, U.S. Department ofAgriculture; Marcella Williams, NeighborhoodReinvestment Corporation, Washington, D.C.;Jenny Hamilton, National AIDS Fund; CandyJohns, Neutral Zone, Wash.; Don Proulx,University of Arizona Rural Health Office;Diane Reese, Coalition Against DomesticViolence, W.Va.; Eileen Hill, Fort BelknapCommunity Council, Mont.; Ethan Pope,Neighborhood Reinvestment Corporation,Tenn.; Tammy Buchanan, U.S. Department ofLabor; Monica Rohacek, Day Care Services,N.C.; Wendy Kopp, Teach for America, N.Y.;Charles Rose, City Year, Mass.; and KathyDunn and John Irish, Youth in Action, Ariz.

State Commission Staff and Consultants:

Kitty Burscu, Ohio; Judy Ouderkirk, Idaho;Elaine Wiggins, Ala.; David Card, Colo.;Melora Balson, Mass.; Kathleen McCleskey,Texas; Steve Schad, Mo.; and Mimi Gulden andMichelle Lyons-Mayer, Ariz.

Corporation for National Service Staff,Training and Technical Assistance Providers,and Consultants:

Jim Hickman, National MulticulturalInstitute; Kathleen Kirby, ConstitutionalRights Foundation, Calif.; Emilio Williams,National Association of Service andConservation Corps; Judy Milton, United Wayof Greater St. Louis; Frank Slobig, JudyKarasik, Jim Ekstrom, Barbara Agresti,Kathleen Dennis, Margaret McLaughlin,Susan Schechter, Jewel Bazilio-Bellegarde,Gina Fulbright-Powell, Meri Ames, DanaSmith Lewis, Suzanne Mintz, LyndaEdwards, Mark Miller, Karen Levine, ElainaVerveer, and Jerry Kolker.

Other Organizations and Individuals:

Lillian Klee Hartzell; Thomas Q. Reefe,Educational Consultant; Jane Robinson Ward,National Council of Nonprofit Associations;Peter Wolk, National Center for Nonprofit Law;Julia Scatliff, Southern Community Partners;Tom Sander, Youth Service America SocialEntrepreneurs; and Georgia Botsford,Kendall/Hunt Publishing.

page99

Acknowledgments

page 100

FEEDBACKFORM

(optional)

Please complete the form below to help make future editions of Next Steps more helpful forAmeriCorps members.

Program name: ___________________________________________________

State where you served: ______________________________________________

Your age: _______________________________________________________

Highest degree earned:

high school diploma master’s degree

two-year degree doctoral degree

four-year degree professional degree

Which sections of the workbook were most helpful to you? Why?

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

Which sections of the workbook were least helpful to you? Why?

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

What other information would have been helpful to you?

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

Please return this completed form to: Training and Technical Assistance—Next Steps,Corporation for National and Community Service, 1201 New York Avenue, N.W., Washington,D.C. 20525.

page101

page102

CCoorrppoorraattiioonn ffoorr NNaattiioonnaall aanndd CCoommmmuunniittyy SSeerrvviiccee11220011 NNeeww YYoorrkk AAvveennuuee,, NN..WW..

WWaasshhiinnggttoonn,, DD..CC.. 2200552255((220022)) 660066--55000000

TTDDDD ((220022)) 556655--22779999wwwwww..nnaattiioonnaallsseerrvviiccee..ggoovv

Documents

nevadavolunteers.org...C reated in 1993, the Corporation for National and Community Service gives more than a million Americans opportunities to improve communities through service